The man suspected of snatching Madeleine McCann could be put in prison for good as he faces a retrial of a rape case in Germany.
Christian Brueckner, 50, will potentially be heading back to court as Germany’s top prosecutor secured an appeal hearing for a rape case he was cleared of in 2024.
Prosecutors will argue before an appeal judge that the 50-year-old sex offender should never have been cleared of raping Irish holiday rep Hazel Behan, who waived her anonymity.
The rape allegedly took place on June 16, 2004 in Portimao, Portugal.
If the appeal successfully leads to a retrial, Madeleine investigators say it could prove pivotal to reopening the case against him over the little girl’s disappearance in 2007.
Critical evidence, it is understood, was left out of the initial trial and can now be used against Brueckner if it goes back to court.
The hearing, scheduled for January, has been described by investigators as a “game changer”, with many anticipating a retrial to follow under Germany’s legal system, the Sun reports.
A source close to the case said: “This is a case with very little good news — and no prospect of a happy outcome.
“But for those who want to see Brueckner charged over Madeleine, this new court date is a gamechanger.”
The source added the presiding judge would scrutinise every element of the original trial, saying: “She will miss nothing.”
Brueckner was cleared in 2024 of raping Irish holiday rep Hazel Behan, a verdict that ultimately led to his release from custody last year.
He has now been summoned to appear before Judge Loisa Bartel at the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig.
The appeal hearing has been set for January 11, next year.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Five more arrests in probe into A66 crash that killed seven including two police officers
- Lockerbie bombing trial delayed after new evidence mysteriously emerges just days before opening
- Man charged with murder, eight attempted murders and arson after house fire in London
A ruling could follow within days, potentially paving the way for a second rape trial as early as next Spring.
However, Brueckner would not be remanded in the meantime.
German prosecutors continue to believe he abducted and killed three-year-old Madeleine in 2007.
British police have recently ramped up their own investigations, including exploring extraditing the sex offender to the UK.
Investigators hope securing a fresh rape conviction could result in a life sentence, while also strengthening the case for German authorities to formally pursue charges linked to Madeleine’s disappearance.
Concerns remain Brueckner could attempt to flee Germany while free, having previously evaded scrutiny during past criminal investigations.
Round-the-clock police surveillance of him, which had been withdrawn earlier this year, has since been reinstated amid fears for his safety following a number of vigilante incidents.
Madeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, disappeared from the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, while on a family holiday.
Brueckner was formally named the prime suspect in her disappearance by German police in 2020.
Investigators have confirmed that his phone was in the vicinity of the resort around the time she vanished.
A witness, Helge Busching, has previously claimed Brueckner effectively confessed to him at a music festival in Spain the following year.
He allegedly said “she didn’t scream” during a conversation about the case.
While investigators say they hold physical evidence suggesting Madeleine is dead, no forensic evidence has yet directly linked Brueckner to the crime.
He has declined to answer police questions and continues to maintain his innocence through his legal team.
The Madeleine suspect was released from prison last September after completing a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz.
German police have confirmed their investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance remains ongoing.
Our Standards:
The GB News Editorial Charter
