Madeleine McCann Suspect Released from German Prison — and the Person Who Freed Him Says It Wasn’t Intentional

The main suspect in the almost 20-year-old disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been released from prison in Germany after serving time for an unrelated crime.

Christian Brückner was freed from a prison in northern Germany after serving seven years for a 2019 rape conviction, the Associated Press reported.

According to The Times of London, Brückner was allegedly connected to Madeleine’s 2007 disappearance in 2020 while appealing his conviction.

Madeleine was 3 years old when she went missing during a trip to Portugal with her parents and two siblings. She was later found to be missing from her bed, and a window to her room was open.

Madeleine has never been found, and no body has been discovered.

The New York Times reported that German police have been investigating Brückner since 2017 and believe he may be responsible for her kidnapping.

Authorities in Germany say witnesses reported that Brückner previously confessed, and that his mobile phone was active and traced to the area where Madeleine disappeared.

Despite this, Brückner has never been charged in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.

The Times reported that before his release, Brückner denied London police the chance for an interview.

“We are aware of the pending release from prison of a 49-year-old German man who has been the primary suspect in the German federal investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance,” Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said, according to the paper. “We can confirm that this individual remains a suspect in the Metropolitan Police’s own investigation.”

Brückner was released months early after someone paid an outstanding fine related to other offenses, Der Spiegel reported.

The person who paid the fine, according to the German outlet, was a former German federal police employee who did not know what the payment was for and later tried to get the money back.