The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been cleared of a string of separate rape charges, giving prosecutors less than a year to charge him in relation to the 2007 tragedy(Image: Phil Harris)

'Clock ticking' as Madeleine McCann suspect cleared of separate rape charges and could be freed

The current prime suspect in the long-running investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a convicted paedophile, could be walking the streets by this time next year

08 Oct 2024, 23:07 by William Morgan · The Mirror

The 47-year-old convicted paedophile at the centre of the investigation into the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann in 2007 has been cleared of a series of rape allegations by a German court - and could be walking the streets again in less than a year.

The police continuing the hunt for Maddie's kidnapper have said the "clock is ticking" to bring charges against suspect Christian Brueckner, before he is released back into society in September next year. On Monday, while already serving a seven-year sentence in prison, Brueckner was cleared of multiple other rape claims, unrelated to Maddie's disappearance.

Madeleine McCann was reported missing while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, sparking a 17-year hunt for her whereabouts and investigations into who caused her to vanish from her bed on the night of May 3. The three-year-old's disappearance caught the world attention in 2007 and is often called the "most reported on" missing persons case in history.

Christian Brueckner standing next to his defence lawyer Dr Friedrich Fulscher at his trial( Image: Phil Harris)

After the shock judgement in Germany, prosecutors immediately appealed the decision while claiming that the judges had been "biased", according to the Sun.

In a new development, the Lead Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters also revealed that new witnesses had come forward to corroborate allegations against the 47-year-old convicted paedophile. Police were previously relying on the statements of his former cellmate and a homeless man.

But in the wake of the legal decision, German police are keen to promise that charges will be brought before Brueckner's release. Lead prosecutor Wolters told the paper: “We hope we will get an appeal decision from the supreme court. But if that is not decided by next September we will try to get an arrest warrant for Maddie.

Brueckner was identified by an alleged victim due to his 'piercing' eyes( Image: Phil Harris)

"I can’t say which witnesses we have, but we have more witnesses than the two or three from this current case.”

Madeleine's suspected kidnapper is currently serving a seven year prison sentence for raping a US pension, following a string of other violent sexual convictions. But despite his history and a trial psychologist labelling him as "top league of dangerousness," the German court acquitted him of three counts of rape and two of indecent exposure.

These included allegations of raping a then 20-year-old Irish woman with a gang of other men, after being identified by his "piercing eyes." He was also cleared of separate charges of raping a 14-year-old girl and an elderly British woman by the German court.

Another pivotal charge against him in the case being built against him was the accusation that he had performed a sex act on himself after grabbing a child in Praia da Luz - just weeks before three-year-old Maddie's disappearance.

Lead Prosecutor Wolters told the Sun: “The supreme court have the power to order a retrial with new judges.

“We believe we have enough evidence Christian Brueckner is guilty and we believe the court will see the judges here have misinterpreted the evidence.

“We believe one of the judges had made their minds up before the case even started. As soon as we had an indication of this we applied for that judge to be removed, but the request was declined.

“We think there is a case to show bias among the judges and we believe we can show that.”