Convicted paedophile and rapist Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, has been cleared of sex offences by a German court, meaning he could be released from prison as early as next year.
Brueckner was the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case following a major development in the investigation back in 2020. However, he has not charged him over Madeleine’s disappearance.
On Tuesday, Uta Inse Engemann, the presiding judge, said the evidence against Brueckner was “insufficient” and acquitted him of all charges.
It sparked particular concern for the prosecution that she made this comment before it had finished giving its evidence.
The prosecution has now moved to have Ms Engemann removed due to alleged bias.
A prosecution motion for prejudice claimed that by making the previous announcement, she had hinted at a preconceived intent to acquit Brueckner.
Ms Engemann’s verdict can now be appealed by the prosecution if by taken to Germany’s Supreme Court, the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. There will be a retrial using a different judge if this court rules in their favour.
Two years ago, Brueckner was charged with five separate counts of rape and child sex abuse allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017, close to the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz from where Madeleine McCann disappeared. He had been on trial for those charges since February.
Prosecutors in Brueckner’s case sought a 15-year sentence, but the court agreed with Brueckner’s main lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher that he should be cleared on these charges due to lack of evidence, leading Judge Ute Engemann to acquit his client of all charges.
Three-year-old Madeleine vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal back in May 2007 while her parents were eating at a nearby restaurant.
Despite extensive international search efforts and widespread media coverage, no sign of her has been discovered. Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has stated that investigations into the “Maddie” case are still ongoing.