Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is set to face a retrial over rape claims in what could be a "game changer" for the missing toddler case. An appeal judge will hear that Brueckner, 50, should not have been cleared of the rape of Irish woman Hazel Behan in 2024, which saw him walk free last year. He has been ordered to appear before Judge Loisa Bartel at a court in Leipzig, Germany, early next year, with a second rape trial potentially following as soon as next spring.
Potential impact on Madeleine investigation
It could allow investigators convinced of the 50-year-old's involvement in Madeleine's disappearance, while on a family holiday aged three, to finally put him behind bars. A source told The Sun: "For those who want to see Brueckner charged over Madeleine, this new court date is a gamechanger."
"The way the German system works means every part of the original trial will be considered - and the judge overseeing it is incredibly sharp," they added. "She will miss nothing. Maddie investigators realise for the first time, there is a genuine will to see a retrial and for something to be done about Brueckner."
Court proceedings and background
German prosecutors believe a rape conviction would embolden officials to also prosecute Brueckner over Madeleine's suspected abduction and murder. A letter issued by the court said "criminal proceedings for aggravated rape, among other offences" had been scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2027.
Madeleine vanished in the Portuguese resort of Praia de Luz in 2007, shortly after she was left sleeping by her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, who went for dinner in a nearby restaurant. Brueckner has never been charged over Madeleine's disappearance, but remains the prime suspect in both the German and British investigations into what happened to her.
He was freed from jail in September after serving a seven-year prison sentence for the rape of an elderly woman at her home in Praia de Luz in 2005. The 50-year-old has previously denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
