German suspect ‘knew all about’ Madeleine McCann disappearance

Details emerge of the German paedophile, named as the chief suspect in the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann.

Madeleine McCann. Picture: File

Christian Brueckner has been unveiled as the German paedophile and chief suspect in the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann.

Details have emerged that Brueckner, now 43, came to the attention of police on the 10th anniversary of the British girl’s disappearance from a Portuguese holiday apartment when he confessed in a drinking session that he knew all about Madeleine, and shared a video of himself raping a woman.

Prime suspect Christian Brueckner. Picture: Bild/Supplied

Brueckner, who was 30 at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance, was not even on the shortlist of 600 suspects even though in 2007 he was in the Praia da Luz area in the Algarve and had an extensive criminal record including the rape of a 72-year-old woman.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told a press conference on Thursday: “We are investigating a 43-year-old German on suspicion of murder.

“We are assuming that the girl is dead. With the suspect, we are talking about a sexual predator who has already been convicted of crimes against little girls and he’s already serving a long sentence.”

Madeleine McCann disappearance suspect Christian Brueckner is serving a prison sentence at this correctional facility prison in the northern German city of Kiel. Picture: AFP

However Scotland Yard has maintained the Madeleine investigation is a missing person’s case.

Brueckner’s admission he “knew all about” what happened to Madeleine came when German television broadcast a 10th year special about the little girl. The friend he confided in went to the police soon after, concerned about the footage of a rape of a woman.

Now three years later, police have released details about Brueckner in a public appeal to gather more evidence against him. They have made a special appeal and offered a €10,000 reward for information and are particularly keen to talk to a person who phoned Brueckner, who was geolocated in the Praia da Luz resort, for half an hour on the evening of May 3.

Madeleine McCann (right) with her father Gerry and sister Amelie in a photograph taken just eight hours before she disappeared from the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal on May 3, 2007. Picture: File

This was believed to have occurred just an hour before Madeleine went missing from inside the apartment, where she was sleeping in the same room as her younger siblings.

Brueckner was living in a ramshackle house about three kilometres from the resort and had funded an itinerant lifestyle by robbing holiday apartments.

A statement from Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann said: “We would like to thank the police forces involved for their continued efforts in the search for Madeleine.

“All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice.

“We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive, but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace.”