I’ve been covering the case of Madeleine McCann for almost twenty years, from letters Christian Brueckner has sent to me in jail to the most chaotic trial I’ve ever been to – but this is the question I find myself asking over and over.
Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in the mysterious disappearance of the young British girl Madeleine McCann, has written a series of letters from prison, in which he maintains his innocence and describes the psychological “torture” of being seen by the world as a child murderer.
Madeleine McCann, then 3 years old, vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007. The case has become one of the world’s most enduring mysteries.
1. Contents of Brückner’s Jail Letters
In the published letters, Brückner, who is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for an unrelated rape conviction in Portugal in 2005, attempts to distance himself from the Madeleine McCann case.
- Claiming Innocence: He writes: “You can never imagine what it feels like when the whole world believes you are a child killer, and you are not.”
- Lack of Evidence: Brückner claims that prosecutors are trying to “create a monster” and insists there is no evidence, however small, linking him to the Maddie case. He wrote: “I was informed a long time ago that the prosecutor’s office had closed the Maddie case because there was not even the smallest piece of evidence. There will never be a trial.”
- Psychological Suffering: Describing the mental torment he is enduring, he concludes: “The torture I am going through is the best proof I can have… What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Head up! Better days will come.”
2. The Chaotic Trial and Other Charges
Brückner, 48, became the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case in 2020 after German prosecutors claimed they had evidence, including mobile phone data, placing him near the Praia da Luz resort at the time the girl vanished.
However, he has not yet been charged in the Madeleine case. Instead, Brückner has faced a separate trial in Braunschweig, Germany, concerning multiple unrelated sexual assault charges allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
- Trial Suspensions: This trial has suffered multiple delays and suspensions, including one instance where the defense attorney pointed out social media posts suggesting a judge might be biased.
- Defendant’s Silence: Under German law, the defendant is not required to offer a defense or testify. Brückner chose to remain silent throughout the proceedings.
- Verdict: Prosecutors had requested a 15-year sentence for Brückner regarding these charges. However, in a subsequent ruling, the German court acquitted Brückner of several rape and sexual abuse charges, but he was required to continue serving his 7-year prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005.
3. Latest Development: Brückner’s (Temporary) Release
In September 2025, Brückner was released from prison in Germany after completing his 7-year sentence for the unrelated rape conviction. Despite his release, he was fitted with an electronic ankle monitoring tag to allow authorities to track his movements.
However, his freedom does not diminish the focus on him in the Madeleine McCann investigation. British police have expressed their intention to consider extraditing him to the UK for trial in the Madeleine disappearance should German prosecutors fail to charge him under their own laws.
Despite being released, Brückner remains the prime suspect and the focal point of this investigation that has spanned over 17 years. He continues to deny any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
