A key suspect in the case of the missing child, Madeleine McCann, has been granted permission to travel overseas following a legal ruling in Germany.
Christian Brueckner, who was released from prison in September after serving a seven-year sentence for a 2005 rape in Portugal, had a condition overturned by a German court that required him to stay in his home country.
Although never formally charged in the disappearance of Madeleine, Brueckner is the primary suspect in both German and British investigations into the case.
Despite requests from UK authorities, Brueckner declined to cooperate with the Metropolitan Police upon his release. Reports suggest he refused therapy while incarcerated, and a recent psychiatric evaluation indicated a likelihood of future criminal behavior.
Madeleine vanished in 2007 from Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents were dining nearby. Brueckner, upon his release, was ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device for five years, stay in touch with probation officers, disclose his address, and surrender his passport.
The recent court decision in Germany lifted the residency requirement but maintained other conditions. Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine’s case.
Authorities from Germany, Portugal, and the UK have conducted numerous searches since Madeleine’s disappearance, including a recent operation near Lagos, Portugal. In 2023, investigations near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, where Brueckner had been present between 2000 and 2017, yielded additional evidence.
Last year, a German court cleared Brueckner of separate sexual offense allegations in Portugal. The funding for Operation Grange, the Met’s ongoing investigation, has surpassed £13.2 million, with additional government support secured in April.
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