A German court has called off a trial against German Christian Brückner. The court that wanted to prosecute Christian Brückner for child abuse does not consider itself competent. The man is also suspected of the high-profile murder of British Maddie McCann.
Christian Brückner’s name became known worldwide when he was linked to the disappearance of British toddler Maddie McCann. She disappeared in Portugal in early May 2007 while on holiday with her family.
During the investigation into the German, the authorities discovered that he had sexually abused and raped other children in the southern European country. The German judiciary wanted to prosecute him for this.
Because Brückner’s last official place of residence in Germany was the city of Braunschweig, the court there considered the case. But according to the German’s lawyers, he then lived elsewhere in Germany, so the trial in Braunschweig would not be valid. According to a German media report, the city’s judges now recognise this.
For the sake of clarity, the recent decision of the court in Braunschweig does not apply to the McCann case. As a result, it remains unclear whether there will ever be another trial of Maddie herself, whose fate has been unknown for sixteen years.
Brückner is serving a seven-year sentence for another rape in the Portuguese town where Maddie disappeared.
