Prime Suspect in McCann Case Granted Freedom to Roam Europe
In a development that has sent shockwaves through the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance, the prime suspect is now legally permitted to leave Germany. Christian Bruckner, the 48-year-old convicted paedophile at the centre of the long-running case, had his travel restrictions lifted by a German court, raising alarming prospects about his future movements.
Court Overturns Residency Requirement
Bruckner was released from a prison near Hanover in September after serving a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal. His initial release conditions included wearing an ankle tag, meeting a probation officer monthly, and a crucial stipulation to remain within Germany. However, this residency requirement has now been overruled. A court document seen by The Mail on Sunday stated that the instruction for the 'convicted person to take up residence within Germany' raised concerns, adding that he 'cannot, under threat of punishment, be ordered to live at a particular place,' citing his human rights.
A History of Violence and Newfound Freedom
German prosecutors remain convinced that Bruckner snatched three-year-old Madeleine from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007 and subsequently murdered her. Despite mobile phone data placing him in the area at the time, authorities have never gathered sufficient evidence to formally charge him with the crime. Bruckner's criminal history is extensive, including prior convictions for sexually abusing children in 1994 and 2016. He was, however, cleared last October of three counts of rape and two cases of indecent exposure against minors, all alleged to have occurred in Portugal where he lived for many years.
Now living in a tent in woods in the northern port city of Kiel, Bruckner boasted about his plans to leave Germany. He told the Mail on Sunday, 'The police wanted to keep me in Germany so they could break me. But it turns out I don't even have to stay in Germany. And now as soon as I can raise some money, then I will leave.' He revealed his intention to set up a crowd-funding website to finance his departure. Despite his new-found freedom to travel, he will be required to wear his ankle tag for five years, and it is understood the monitoring device will function across Europe.
