Madeleine McCann pictured on a family holiday in Praia Da Luz, Algarve, Portugal in 2007.(Image: PA)

Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner's lawyer makes bombshell claim at German rape trial

Christian Brueckner is on trial in Germany accused of raping women, including Irish tour rep Hazel Behan, and exposing himself to children in the Algarve - he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Brit Madeliene McCann

by · Irish Mirror

Madeliene McCann suspect Christian Brueckner should never have been charged with vile sex crimes in Portugal, his lawyer argued on Monday.

Brueckner, 47, is on trial in Germany accused of raping women and exposing himself to children in the Algarve. The charges are unconnected to the Madeleine case, which the German paedophile denies any involvement in. Prosecutors called last week for Brueckner to be jailed for 15 years for the alleged crimes in Portugal. But Judge Ute Engemann ruled in July that the evidence against him was “insufficient” - a strong indication that he will be acquitted.

Prosecutors have relied on the evidence of Helge Busching, who claims to have seen videos of Brueckner raping two women. Busching also tipped off police about the German paedophile’s alleged involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.

READ MORE - Madeleine McCann suspect 'dressed in leotard and mask with only eyes exposed as he raped Irish woman'

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Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner(Image: Phil Harris)
He is on trial in Germany(Image: Phil Harris)

He claimed Brueckner told him “she didn’t scream” when they discussed the infamous case in a Spanish bar. The pair were pals in Praia da Luz in the mid-2000s. In his closing speech today, Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher slammed star witness Busching. He branded him a liar, describing Busching as “a person who lies and tries to make himself look important”.

Mr Fuelscher told Braunschweig regional court: “There is no evidence at all which supports what he said.” Brueckner sat motionless by his lawyer’s side this morning, dressed in the same grey blazer he has worn throughout the eight-month trial. Mr Fuelscher told judges: “This trial should never have taken place.

Madeleine McCann went missing in the Algarve(Image: Getty Images)
She went missing in May 2007(Image: METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Gett)

“If it was any other person, then on the basis of the evidence it would never have come to trial. The day has long passed whereby we lock away people based on them and not their crime.” He accused prosecutors of “trying to influence the opinion of the public”.

Mr Fuelscher pointed out that two of Brueckner’s alleged rape victims had never been traced. “You have to ask, how likely is it that people who have suffered like that would not have reported it?” he said. “And yet the German authorities and police put a lot of effort into researching this, and found nothing.”

The German is suspected of abducting and killing three-year-old Madeleine in Praia da Luz in May 2007. He is currently serving a seven-year prison term for raping an American pensioner in the Portuguese resort. If Brueckner is cleared he will be freed next year - which is a nightmare scenario for Madeleine investigators.

Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared(Image: Getty Images)

Detectives appear no closer to proving he was behind her disappearance - despite claiming they have proof she is dead. A not guilty verdict would increase the pressure on them to charge Brueckner over Madeleine’s disappearance. Prosecutors are expected to appeal to a higher court in Germany if he is cleared of the charges. A verdict could come as soon as Tuesday.

Brueckner is accused of carrying out sickening crimes in the Algarve between 2000 and 2017. They include the alleged rape of Irish tour rep Hazel Behan, who was attacked in her Praia da Rocha apartment in 2004. Brueckner is also accused of raping a teenage woman in his Praia da Luz home and raping an elderly woman in her holiday apartment.

He faces a child sex charge for allegedly exposing himself to a German girl on a beach in Salema in April 2007. His final charge relates to an alleged indecent exposure in front of an 11-year-old in 2017.

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