Madeleine McCann case: Convicted rapist Christian Brueckner named ‘formal suspect’
There is a new ray of hope in the over-complicated case of Madeleine McCann, who went missing 15 years ago, as convicted rapist Christian Brueckner has finally been made an “arguido” or “formal suspect”. Though Brueckner, who is currently serving his time behind bars in a German jail for raping an American pensioner, was held “responsible” for the British girl's abduction and murder in June 2020 by German prosecutors, he has never been charged with the aforementioned crimes.
However, now with him being called “suspect,” it can be hoped that these charges will be brought against him and the years-old case will get the closure it deserves. According to The Daily Mail, the latest development happened after the police in Portugal, from where the then-three-year-old went missing in May 2007, took swift action after reports surfaced that the 44-year-old could avoid charges because of the southern European nation’s 15-year limit on prosecutions.
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A written statement, titled ‘Maddie case. Constitution of an Arguido', shared by the Portimao section of the Faro Department of Criminal Investigation and Prosecution (DIAP) on Thursday, April 21, read: “As part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007, a person was made an arguido on Wednesday. The man was made an arguido by the German authorities in execution of a request for international judicial cooperation issued by the Public Ministry of Portugal. The inquiry is led by the Portimao section of the DIAP in Faro with the assistance of the Policia Judiciaria police. The investigation has been carried out with the cooperation of the English and German authorities.”
German daily Bild reportedly spoke with Friedrich Fulscher, Brueckner's lawyer, who called the recent step “a procedural artifice”. He said, “The step taken by the Portuguese authorities should not be overrated. Without knowing the Portuguese legal situation in detail, I assume that this measure is a procedural artifice to stop the statute of limitations threatening in a few days.”
Besides, a source stated: “The legal grounds for making Brueckner an arguido include the fact that he allegedly confessed to a friend he had snatched Madeleine and mobile phone records placed him in Praia da Luz the night she vanished. But it is obviously linked to the fact that the Portuguese authorities want to keep their options open with the 15-year deadline looming.”
Jim Gamble, the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center (Ceop) who worked on this case, also shared his thoughts on the development. He said, “Well, this breakthrough could mean everything or it could mean nothing. My own gut feeling on it - from the moment the Germans began to release information two years ago - was that this was the best fit.”
Gamble added: “You have proximity, you have opportunity, and you have a profile with regards to an offender that absolutely fits in a way that no others have. This is all positive. And from my own position, and I wouldn't be surprised if charges did follow.”
This comes as last week Brueckner sent a letter to MailOnline claiming he has not yet been interrogated by German investigators’ in McCann’s case. The convicted rapist wrote: “I haven't been questioned on any allegations as required by German law, but it is obvious the German authorities and especially the Department of Justice, are providing the media with information about me that is likely to make me appear contemptible. This also applies to the authorities at the correctional facility in which I am currently being held.”
Brueckner also appeared to mock authorities in the letter as he noted: “By now it should be most obvious to anyone with halfway reasonable thinking that the German authorities are trying by all means necessary to cover up the mistakes that have been made. By 'mistakes' I mean blatant violations of German criminal law and international human rights. This statement on my part has so far only been laughed at as 'wailing' which gives me an approximate insight into the hopeless situation of the Jews, or in general, of the minorities in the Second World War.”