A key suspect linked to the disappearance case of Madeleine McCann has been granted permission to travel internationally following a recent legal ruling in Germany.
Christian Brueckner, who was released from prison in September after serving a seven-year sentence for a 2005 rape in Praia da Luz, Portugal, had a condition overturned by a German court on Monday that required him to stay in Germany.
Although not formally charged in Madeleine’s case, Brueckner is considered the primary suspect in both German and British investigations into the matter. Despite requests from UK authorities, he declined to cooperate with the Metropolitan Police upon his release. Reports indicated his refusal to undergo therapy while incarcerated, and a psychiatric evaluation suggested a propensity for future criminal behavior.
Madeleine disappeared in 2007 at the age of three from Praia da Luz while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were dining nearby. Brueckner, upon his release, was subjected to wearing an electronic monitoring device for five years, staying in touch with probation officers, disclosing his address, and surrendering his passport.
The recent court decision in Germany removed the residency requirement but maintained other conditions. Brueckner has consistently denied involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance. Multiple searches have been conducted by German, Portuguese, and British authorities, including a recent one near Lagos, Portugal. Investigators also searched the Barragem do Arade reservoir area in 2023, where Brueckner had been present and had photographic evidence.
In a separate case, a German court cleared Brueckner of alleged sexual offenses in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The funding for Operation Grange, the Met Police’s inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance, has exceeded £13.2 million since 2011, with an additional £108,000 secured from the Government in April.
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