Berlin – Christian Brueckner, 48, the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, was released from a German prison on Wednesday after completing a seven-year sentence for rape.

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Brueckner, who has never been charged in the McCann case due to insufficient evidence, left Sehnde prison in northern Germany in the back of his lawyer’s car, flanked by two police vans, AFP journalists and a prison official said.

Under the conditions of his release, reported by Der Spiegel, Brueckner must wear an electronic ankle bracelet, regularly report to probation officers, and his passport has been confiscated, with his ID card restricted to German territory. Local authorities had not immediately confirmed the conditions.

Prosecutors in Braunschweig have long accused Brueckner of involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, which occurred in May 2007 when the three-year-old vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Despite years of international media attention, searches, and multiple leads, no one has ever been convicted over her disappearance. Brueckner denies any involvement.

Long criminal history

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Brueckner, who served a sentence for raping a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 in the Algarve region, has a long criminal history, including convictions for sexual abuse of children, bodily harm, theft, and drug trafficking. A psychiatric expert described him as being in the “absolute top league of dangerousness” and highly likely to reoffend.

Days before his release, Braunschweig chief prosecutor Christian Wolters warned Brueckner remains “dangerous” and might leave Germany amid media attention. Brueckner’s defence lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, said the warning could hinder his reintegration into society, making it difficult to find housing or employment.

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In 2022, Brueckner was acquitted on five counts of rape and child sex abuse allegedly committed between 2000 and 2017 in the same region of Portugal where Madeleine disappeared. German prosecutors have applied for a retrial, but a decision is not expected until next year.

Investigations into Madeleine’s disappearance continue. Wolters confirmed that authorities have not yet fully evaluated evidence recovered during a June search in Praia da Luz and are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry.