Suspect in McCann disappearance acquitted in other case

braunschweig - The main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been acquitted by a German court in several other abuse cases.

Christian Brückner remains in custody until at least September 2025 for a previous rape conviction. He has been acquitted due to lack of evidence. A 15-year prison sentence was sought against him.

The 47-year-old Brückner, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for rape, was acquitted of three rapes and two cases of sexual abuse in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

With his acquittal in this case, the likelihood has increased that Brückner will be released in September 2025. In the McCann case, the suspect has not yet been charged and German authorities are still searching for evidence in the case.

A key witness had earlier testified during the trial that he had broken into Brückner's house in Portugal and found videos showing the rape of a girl and a 70 to 80-year-old woman. An Irish woman later told the court that she had been raped at the age of 20 by a masked man who had broken into her apartment in Portugal in 2004. However, he was acquitted.