A German court has made a significant ruling concerning the prime suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, permitting him to leave Germany and overturning a key condition of his release from prison.
Court Overturns Residency Requirement
On Monday, 10th November 2025, a higher state court in Celle announced its decision to uphold most of the conditions imposed on the suspect, Christian Brückner. However, it overturned the stipulation that he must remain resident in Germany. The court argued that this requirement interfered with the freedom of movement guaranteed to all European Union citizens within the 27-nation bloc.
Brückner, a German national, was released in mid-September after serving a sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal, for which he was convicted in 2019. Upon his release, a court in Hildesheim had imposed a set of conditions for a five-year period, which included wearing an electronic ankle monitor and regularly reporting to probation services.
Background of the Madeleine McCann Case
The suspect has been under investigation since June 2020, when German prosecutors stated he was being investigated on suspicion of murder in connection with the case. Madeleine McCann vanished in 2007 from an apartment complex in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. German authorities have publicly stated they assume the three-year-old is dead.
Despite extensive police searches in Portugal, where Brückner spent many years, no charges have been filed against him in relation to Madeleine's disappearance. The suspect has consistently denied any involvement. His lawyer, Friedrich Fülscher, has previously stated that charges would have been brought long ago if there had been sufficient evidence. The investigation remains active and was not affected by his release from prison.
Implications and Next Steps
The Celle court clarified that while the general residency ban was lifted, it would still be possible to issue a temporary ban on leaving the country to arrange technical matters, or to prohibit travel to specific regions. The responsibility for deciding on these specific arrangements now falls to the lower court in Hildesheim.
This development marks a new chapter in the long-running and highly publicised case, raising questions about the future trajectory of the investigation and the legal constraints on the key suspect.
