Madeleine McCann case has new leads on suspect Christian Brueckner before missing child's 18th birthday
Investigators looking into the missing Madeleine McCann case have unearthed "significant" new information on prime suspect Christian Brueckner in their hunt to find her. This comes ahead of Maddie's 18th birthday later this month, in May 2021.
German authorities have been handed new leads into the suspect's background. This has raised hopes of more clues into the disappearance of the youngster at a Portuguese resort 14 years ago, The Sun reported.
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“Police in Germany have obtained new details which relate to the period in the late 1990s and early 2000’s when Christian B lived in Germany and the Algarve," an insider close to the case told The Sun. “The police believe this new information could prove significant in shaping the future direction of the probe and will be looking to liaise with colleagues in the Algarve over it.”
The British newspaper also reported that authorities will use an upcoming documentary on Maddie's disappearance to speak directly to witnesses. “The police remain convinced someone, somewhere knows more about this man and his links to Maddie. They implore them to come forward," the source added.
Brueckner remains the prime suspect in the ongoing investigation, and German authorities have said their case on him is "open-ended," which means they do not have any restrictions on how long the probe can continue. Last week, it emerged that the German pedophile isn't likely to be released anytime soon.
According to The Sun, Brueckner is now set to be charged over the violent rape of an Irish woman almost 17 years ago. The 43-year-old convicted sex offender is currently serving a seven-year sentence at the JVA Kiel prison for raping a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2005.
German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, who is leading investigations into the rape as well as the disappearance of Maddie, said there were notable similarities between the three cases. "The case against the suspect Christian B for the rape of Hazel Behan is in a good way, and it may be that we can charge him in the next three months," he said. "I am very hopeful for a charge in this case."
Meanwhile, Brueckner is also serving a jail sentence for drug trafficking.
Madeleine McCann was just three years old when she mysteriously disappeared while vacationing with her family at a resort in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007. There has been no sign of her since.
In October 2020, prosecutor Wolters said there was no "forensic evidence" to build a case against Brueckner and that other clues are "not enough to get an arrest warrant," according to The Daily Mirror. German investigators had named the 43-year-old as a suspect in June 2020, after claiming they had "strong evidence."
Speaking to the podcast 'They've Taken Her', Wolters explained, "Maybe we need more witnesses or photos or video. Maybe we need one witness who can tell us the things we don’t know."
However, there have been no major developments since. Kate and Gerry McCann are still awaiting answers.