Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner released from prison

Madeleine McCann’s parents were dealt a devastating blow today as prime suspect Christian Brueckner was released from prison.

The convicted paedophile is a free man after his seven-year jail term for raping a pensioner came to an end. Prosecutors had hoped to charge the 48-year-old over Madeleine’s disappearance before his sentence ended. But they failed in their race against the clock and were powerless to stop him walking free.

Brueckner, who has shown 'no remorse for his crimes', was released from Sehnde prison near Hannover at 9.15am this morning. He is understood to have been fitted with an ankle tag so police can monitor his whereabouts 24/7. Sources said he also had his passport confiscated amid fears he could disappear.

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As he made a sharp exit, he appeared to have a bag or blanket over his head as he sat in the rear of his lawyer’s Audi estate car as media gathered outside Sehnde prison from 5am, awaiting his release. He appeared to be wearing a red and navy striped shirt, cap and sunglasses, as well as wearing cream chinos.

A large reuseable shopping bag, believed to contain his belongings, was sat alongside him. Police blocked the main road to allow Audi to speed away accompanied by two riot vans.

Police officers from Brueckner’s home town of Braunschweig, 40 miles away, were drafted in overlook his release. The cops blocked in cars belonging to the media, saying they were trying to prevent Brueckner being followed.

He was given a police escort and drove his black Audi through the secure prison gates, with vans parked up outside the jail from 6am. Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher arrived at the prison at 9am.

His legal rep previously said Brueckner wants to vanish overseas to a country that has no extradition treaty with the EU or UK. Investigators applied to a court for him to be subjected to ‘führungsaufsicht’ - a form of judicial supervision.

It is reserved for prisoners who have served time for serious crimes but are still deemed as being high risk. Brueckner is banned from going near schools, nurseries or other places regularly used by children. He will also have to regularly ‘check in’ at a local police station and need approval to change his home address.

German authorities had hoped outstanding fines for an offence in jail would keep him behind bars until January. But they were dealt a blow in June when a former police officer paid the £1,300 levies out of the blue. German prosecutors named Brueckner as their prime suspect in the Madeleine case in June 2020 but have yet to charge him.

Despite a lengthy police investigation, detectives appear to be no closer to charging him over Madeleine’s disappearance. He was cleared last October of a string of sex crimes he was accused of carrying out in Portugal. Prosecutors are awaiting the outcome of an appeal against those verdicts lodged in Germany's Federal Court of Justice.

Brueckner denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance in May 2007. German search teams spent three days hunting for evidence in Portugal last month. Brueckner was living in a ramshackle farmhouse on the edge of Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished.

He is due in court again in Germany next month accused of insulting prison guards.