Christian Brueckner, the suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, has been acquitted of all charges in a separate sexual assault trial. The 47-year-old faced allegations in Portugal of raping women and indecent exposure to children in the Algarve, unrelated to the Madeleine case, which he vehemently denies any involvement in.
In 2020, German and British authorities identified him as a key suspect in the disappearance of three year old Madeleine in May 2007 from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, while her parents Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leicestershire, were out dining nearby. Although prosecutors have stated they believe Madeleine is deceased, they have not disclosed their evidence.
Following Brueckner’s acquittal, a source close to Madeleine’s parents commented today: “They will not be commenting on Breuckner. They have never commented on him.”
Previously, in what seemed like a significant lead, Helge Busching, an ex-associate of Brueckner, contacted Scotland Yard with information, claiming that Brueckner had chillingly remarked “she didn’t scream” during a conversation about the case in a Spanish bar in 2008.
In court, Detective Constable Mark Draycott testified about following up with Busching: “Back then we still had a public phone number which was publicised around the world,” he recounted, reports the Mirror.
A case worker reported: “Members of the public could ring in information in relation to Operation Grange, the Madeleine McCann investigation. One of my jobs was to check the answer phone messages. On May 18th I checked the answer phone and there was a message. It was from a male by the sound of his voice, he spoke good English and he asked to speak to David Edgar (private investigator). He said he had information and he left a Greek mobile number.
“I then rang this Greek mobile number and spoke to a male I now know to be Helge Lars Busching He referred to himself as Lars and he gave information in relation to the Madeleine McCann investigation.”
Busching, facing terminal cancer, took the stand in a court in Braunschweig, Germany, which has been in session since February. He had previously painted a frightening picture of the paedophile, claiming him to be “really dangerous.”
Further adding weight to his testimony, he declared: “He must be brought to justice and he must be punished. We were not good friends back then and we will certainly never be good friends in the future.”
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