The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Christian Brückner, has been released from German prison today.
Brückner was sentenced to a seven-year sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American tourist in Portugal.
He refused to be interviewed by the UK's Metropolitan Police in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.
Senior reporter with the Mail Online Nick Pisa said Brückner was driven from Sehnde Prison in the backseat of his lawyer’s car with a blanket over his head.
“There were three or four police vans involved; they blocked the road,” he told The Pat Kenny Show.
“He was sandwiched in between two police vans with another one behind.
"Then another one blocked the junction leading towards Hanover, stopping traffic or any media that perhaps wanted to follow him.”
Christian Brueckner stands in the courtroom at Braunschweig District Court before the start of the trial, in Brunswick, Germany, Tuesday Oct. 8, 2024. (Michael Matthey/dpa via AP)According to Mr Pisa, this was done to protect Brückner’s privacy and safety.
“As regards to himself, Brückner, we do know that he has had to wear an ankle tag; prosecutors insisted that he wear an ankle tag,” Mr Pisa said.
“We know that he’s had to surrender his passport, and we also know that they want him to report to probation authorities.
“Those restrictions are in place, but we should say the tag, according to the lawyer who I spoke with last night, Mr Fülscher, the tag doesn’t work out of Germany.
“So, technically he can come and go as he pleases within Europe.”
Madeleine McCann's disappearance
Mr Pisa said that it is somewhat unclear why the Metropolitan Police's request to question Brückner last month about Madeleine's disappearance was denied.
“I spoke to lawyers last night and they claim that the Met Police’s attempt to question him was actually incorrect and it wasn’t filed under the correct procedure,” he said.
“They said the details that were needed were not present.
“I should say that I have put that allegation to Scotland Yard and they deny it and they say it was all filed good and proper.
“But his lawyer is saying, ‘Look, the fact that my client refused to cooperate and insisted on maintaining his silence doesn’t imply his guilt'.”
According to Mr Pisa, Brückner’s lawyer said that the Metropolitan Police did not disclose their evidence linking his client to Madeleine's disappearance.
Main image: Christian Brückner (L), Madeleine McCann (R).
