Madeleine McCann Suspect Released from German Prison — and the Person Who Freed Him Says It Wasn't Intentional By Liam Quinn

The primary suspect in the nearly two-decade-old disappearance of Madeleine McCann was released from prison in Germany after serving a sentence for an unrelated rape.

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

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

Madeleine was 3 years old when she vanished on a trip to Portugal, visiting from the U.K., with her parents and two siblings in 2007. The girl was later discovered to be missing from her bed along with an open window to the room where she had been sleeping.

Madeleine has never been found and no body has been located.

The New York Times reported that German police have been investigating Brückner since 2017 and believe he is 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 of Madeleine’s disappearance.

Despite the belief of German authorities, Brückner has never been charged in relation to Madeleine’s disappearance.

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The Times reported that prior to his release from prison, Brückner denied London police the opportunity for an interview.

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“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 from prison months early after a person 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 realize what the money was for and subsequently tried to get the money back.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.