Madeleine McCann: Portuguese authorities name convicted child abuser Christian Brueckner official suspect

The 44-year-old German national, a convicted paedophile, has now officially been named in the case by Portuguese authorities
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Convicted German paedophile Christian Brueckner has been officially named as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann for the first time.

Portuguese authorities confirmed the defendant was appointed a “formal suspect” on Wednesday (20 April).

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The 44-year-old was identified as a murder suspect by German prosecutors in June 2020, but he has not been charged since then.

Christian Brueckner has been officially named as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Photo: PA)Christian Brueckner has been officially named as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Photo: PA)
Christian Brueckner has been officially named as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Photo: PA)

Brueckner is in prison in Germany after being convicted of raping a 72-year-old woman in 2005, in the same town where Madeleine went missing.

Investigators believe the convicted sex offender killed Madeleine, then three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007.

It is the first time that Portuguese prosecutors have identified an official suspect in the case since Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents, were named suspects in 2007 and were later cleared.

Christian B named ‘formal suspect’

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A statement was issued on Thursday (21 April) by the Portimao section of the Faro department of criminal investigation and prosecution which says that a person was made an “arguido” – which translates as “named suspect” or “formal suspect” – a day earlier.

The statement does not name Brueckner, but says the person was made an “arguido” by German authorities at the request of Portugal’s public prosecution service.

Christian B was named as the prime suspect in the case.Christian B was named as the prime suspect in the case.
Christian B was named as the prime suspect in the case.

It says the investigation has been carried out with the cooperation of the English and German authorities.

The move by Portuguese authorities could allow Brueckner to be transferred from prison in Germany to the Algarve for formal questioning.

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The German newspaper Bild reported that Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, said the Portuguese decision appeared to be a “procedural trick”.

It is thought the move has been prompted by the 15-year limit for prosecuting serious crimes in Portugal, with authorities looking to "keep their options open".

In Germany there is no time limit for a murder charge, but in Portgual the statute of limitations does not generally allow crimes which carry a maximum prison sentence to be prosecuted more than 15 years after they were committed.

This would mean that Brueckner could no longer be charged in Portugal after 3 May.

(Graphic: Mark Hall / JPIMedia)(Graphic: Mark Hall / JPIMedia)
(Graphic: Mark Hall / JPIMedia)
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Brueckner, referred to as Christian B in Germany due to the country’s strict privacy laws, was found guilty in 2019 of the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz, and sentenced to seven years in jail, at a court in Brunswick, Lower Saxony.

He is currently serving a sentence in Oldenburg prison, northern Germany, for raping a woman in 2005 in the same area of Portugal’s Algarve region where Madeleine went missing.

A federal court in Karlsruhe, a city in south-west Germany, rejected an appeal against the conviction in November 2020.

Brueckner has denied being involved in the disappearance of Madeleine as her parents dined with friends at a nearby tapas bar.

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In Portuguese law, an arguido status can be a preliminary move ahead of an arrest being made or charges brought.

The Metropolitan Police continue to treat Madeleine’s disappearance as a missing persons inquiry.

Is there new evidence in the case?

German investigators have found new evidence against Brueckner, a prosecutor has revealed in an interview on Portuguese television.

Hans Christian Wolters told Portuguese TV journalist Sandra Felgueiras on the TV channel CMTV: “The investigation is still going on and I think we found some new facts, some new evidence, not forensic evidence, but evidence.”

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In the interview, Ms Felgueiras asked Mr Wolters: “Is it true that you found something belonging to Madeleine in the caravan of Christian Brueckner? You can’t deny it, can you?”

He replied: “I don’t want to deny it.

What have the McCann family said?

In a message posted on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page on Friday, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote: “Even though the possibility may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her”.

Kate and Gerry McCann also wrote: “We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German man an ‘arguido’ in relation to the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine.

“This reflects progress in the investigation, being conducted by the Portuguese, German and British authorities.

“We are kept informed of developments by the Metropolitan police.

“It is important to note the ‘arguido’ has not yet been charged with any specific crime related to Madeleine’s disappearance.”