Madeleine McCann suspect freed from German prison

Christian Brückner has not been charged over Madeleine's disappearance

Germany prosecutors' prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been released from prison in Germany, where he has been serving a sentence for an unrelated offence.

Christian Brückner was driven out in a black Audi by his lawyer with a police escort shortly after 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT). He could not be seen in the car but police confirmed he had left Sehnde prison.

Brückner had been convicted of raping a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005, and will be fitted with an ankle tag after his release from the prison near the northern city of Hanover.

The German national, 48, has never been charged with any crime in relation to the McCann case. He denies any involvement.

Christian Brückner (not seen) was driven out of Sehnde prison, near Hanover, by his lawyer on Wednesday morning

Local police spokesman Lars Dehnert told the BBC: "We said before that we wanted this to happen as smoothly as possible", adding that Brückner would be escorted for a short distance.

"With this our police operation has terminated," he added.

"We don't have any knowledge about where Christian B is going to go. This is happening in co-operation with his lawyers," the spokesman said.

One of Brückner's lawyers, Philipp Marquort, told the BBC: "I think Mr Brückner is just relieved that all of the release process is over and that he is now out."

He said that "all the drama of today has gone", adding: "I know where he is - but I can't say because he needs to now settle down... before his next court appearance."

In the UK, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Brückner "remains a suspect for us" and that the force's investigation into Madeleine's disappearance remains a missing person inquiry.

Madeleine was three years old when she vanished in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007. She and her siblings had been left sleeping in a holiday apartment while her parents, Kate and Gerry, went to a nearby restaurant.

Her disappearance has become one of the highest-profile unsolved missing person cases in the world.

German prosecutors have pointed to evidence - including mobile phone data - indicating Brückner may have been in the area when Madeleine vanished, and have consistently insisted that they think he is responsible.

However, they have not found strong enough evidence to bring charges.

Nevertheless, Brückner has been handed strict release terms by a regional court at the request of prosecutors who fear their suspect could flee beyond their jurisdiction.

He will wear an electronic ankle monitor for five years as part of his probationary supervision, prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told the BBC.

He must also contact a probation officer at least once a month and get court approval of any change of residence, the prosecutor said.

Mr Wolters recently said that "the psychiatric expert assumes that due to his personality, there is a justified risk [that Brückner] will commit crimes again".

Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007, then aged three

Brückner, who spent many years in the Algarve, was a drifter, a petty criminal and a convicted sex offender. He has several previous convictions, including for sexually abusing children in 1994 and 2016.

Portuguese and German police conducted a fresh search between where the McCanns had been staying and addresses linked to Brückner in June this year, but this yielded no breakthroughs.

In 2023, investigators carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles (48km) from Praia da Luz.

Brückner spent time in the Praia da Luz area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir.

In October last year, he was cleared of unrelated sexual offences by a German court, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

Due to differences in legal systems, German authorities suspect Brückner of murder in relation to Madeleine McCann, while British police continue to treat her disappearance as a missing persons case.

The funding given to the Met's investigation, Operation Grange, has totalled more than £13.2m since 2011. A further £108,000 was secured from the government in April.

Investigators searched scrubland and abandoned buildings in the latest searches for Madeleine McCann, but it didn't lead to any breakthroughs