A warning has been raised that Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, may attempt to flee abroad upon his release from Sehnde prison after serving a seven-year sentence for rape. Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, argues that the GPS ankle tag assigned to monitor his movements would be ineffective once he leaves Germany. Despite being required to have a permanent address and report regularly to the probation service, Brueckner could easily escape to another EU country even without a passport.
Fuelscher maintains Brueckner’s innocence and expresses concerns about his client’s uncertainty upon release. Media outlets from the UK, Germany, and Portugal have been stationed outside Sehnde prison awaiting his departure. German prosecutors identified Brueckner as the primary suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance, but have yet to press charges despite ongoing investigations and an appeal against previous verdicts.
Search efforts in Portugal by German teams have yielded no leads so far. Brueckner was residing in Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished in 2007, while her parents were dining nearby. Kate and Gerry McCann remain hopeful for their daughter’s safe return.