The prime suspect in the case of Madeleine McCann's disappearance is no longer under police surveillance, it has been revealed. Christian Brueckner's lawyers told ITV News that he is "very happy" that round-the-clock police surveillance of him will end at midnight tonight.
Philipp Marquort said the convicted rapist repeatedly said "thank you", though he will still have to wear an electronic ankle tag and comply with other supervision measures. Mr Marquort said: "Two courts have now ruled consistently: The legal requirements for round-the-clock surveillance are not met."
Court ruling on risk of reoffending
The Schleswig-Holstein Higher Regional Court in North West Germany found Brueckner posed an average, rather than high, risk of reoffending, and that constant surveillance was hindering his rehabilitation.
Mr Marquort added: "Anyone who has served their sentence in full must be given the chance to rebuild a life in freedom. For thirteen months, that was impossible with police officers following his every step. Now my client can begin."
Private investigator's theory
This comes after the private investigator hired by the McCanns to find missing Madeleine issued a harrowing update on what could have happened to her when she vanished nearly 20 years ago.
Julian Peribañez said he has no intention of giving up the search for Maddie, and revealed his own theories about what happened to the little girl. He told the Olive Press: "I don’t know if she’s alive or not, because hardly anyone on Earth does. But as long as I have hope, I won’t stop looking."
Mr Peribañez has continued to pursue his own lines of inquiry and believes that Maddie was kidnapped by an Eastern European trafficking gang. He urged anyone in the Algarve region with information to come forward. He said: "If you’ve had encounters with people who fit the profile, please reach out. All I need is a name. Give me a name, and I’ll chase it wherever I have to."
Case remains unsolved
Madeleine was three when she vanished from her family's ground-floor holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on the evening of May 3, 2007.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry, had left Madeleine and her younger twin siblings sleeping while they dined at a tapas restaurant roughly 55 metres away, taking turns to check on them throughout the night. At around 10pm, Kate discovered Madeleine's bed empty and the bedroom window open, triggering an international search effort that quickly grew into one of the most high-profile, complex, and protracted police inquiries in modern history.
The multi-agency investigation has seen thousands of leads pursued across Europe - including Scotland Yard's Operation Grange - yet the case remains formally unsolved.
