February 8th 2024.
On February 16, Christian Brueckner is scheduled to appear in court in the city of Braunschweig, Germany. He is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a British toddler who vanished while on holiday with her family in Portugal in 2007. However, his lawyer has confirmed that Brueckner will not be giving any evidence in his defense during the upcoming trial for unrelated sex crimes.
Brueckner is facing five charges, including three counts of rape, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. He is currently in prison in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, the same resort where Madeleine went missing. Despite being identified as a suspect in the McCann case in 2022, Brueckner has denied any involvement and has not been formally charged.
German police have stated that they believe Madeleine is deceased, and Brueckner's trial for the other sex crimes is expected to last for several months. However, his lawyer has stated that Brueckner is not expected to make any significant statements during the trial. He may either remain silent or deny individual acts, but his lawyer does not anticipate any substantial submissions.
The charges against Brueckner include three counts of aggravated rape and two counts of sexual abuse of children in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Meanwhile, a former acquaintance of Brueckner has come forward to claim that there was a plot to kidnap a child in the resort just a week before Madeleine's disappearance. Ken Ralphs, an expat living on the Algarve coast, told news outlets that Brueckner had tried to convince a mutual friend to help him find a child to sell to a wealthy family.
Ralphs described how the man, who was struggling financially and living off the grid, confided in him while drinking around a fire. He claimed that the man admitted to getting involved with Brueckner to steal a child from Praia da Luz for a ransom. However, when Ralphs expressed his shock and disapproval, the man clarified that Brueckner already had a buyer lined up, a German couple who were unable to have children of their own.
A week later, Ralphs returned to the UK and saw the news that a three-year-old girl had gone missing from her family's apartment in Praia da Luz. He then came forward to speak with authorities in the UK, Portugal, and Germany, giving a statement to prosecutors. The investigation into Madeleine's disappearance and Brueckner's potential involvement continues, and his trial for the unrelated sex crimes is set to begin on February 16.
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