EXCLUSIVE: Madeleine McCann investigation bombshell as court rules German prosecutors have NO jurisdiction to pursue a case against suspect Christian Brueckner
- Christian Brueckner may not face charges in Germany over disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann
- Convicted rapist, 45, was named as man responsible for her kidnap and murder
Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner may not face charges in Germany over the British toddler’s disappearance after a court there ruled prosecutors had no jurisdiction to pursue a case against him.
The convicted rapist, 45, was named as the man responsible for Madeleine’s kidnap and murder after investigators in Germany claimed they had ‘concrete evidence’ that she was dead.
Last year Brueckner was charged with a number of sex offences – said to have taken place on the Algarve where the three-year-old vanished in 2007 – between 2000 and 2017.
However, since then prosecutors have made no further progress in bringing charges in the case of Madeleine against him.
Now his lawyer Friedrich Fulscher has had the charges dropped against him after successfully arguing that prosecutors have no jurisdiction over him in Brunswick, Germany, where the case was being brought.
Convicted rapist Brueckner, 45, was named as the man responsible for Madeleine’s kidnap and murder after investigators in Germany claimed they had ‘concrete evidence’ that she was dead
It will be a hammer blow to Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry who had hoped there was light at the end of the tunnel following their daughter’s mystery disappearance from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.
Brueckner has protested his innocence in her case in a series of letters to MailOnline insisting that prosecutors are ‘out to get him’ and they have ‘no evidence’ to bring charges.
In a statement to MailOnline Mr Fulscher said: ‘In its decision of April 19, 2023, the Regional Court of Braunschweig declared that it had no jurisdiction over the charge against Christian B. and revoked the arrest warrant against him.
‘The defense already pointed out during the preliminary proceedings that the Braunschweig judiciary should not have local jurisdiction.
‘For reasons that are not understandable here, the public prosecutor’s office in Braunschweig clung to its jurisdiction and thus risked being overturned by the Federal Court of Justice if it were opened. This is very questionable, in particular given the fact that a large number of witnesses would have had to appear in court again (on very incriminating issues) in the event of an annulment.
‘The court’s decision also means that the Braunschweig judiciary is not responsible for the ‘Maddie’ case.’
Brueckner has protested his innocence in her case in a series of letters to MailOnline insisting that prosecutors are ‘out to get him’ and they have ‘no evidence’ to bring charges. Pictured: Maddie’s parents Kate and Gerry
The decision means that arrest warrants for Brueckner on the case are dismissed but he will not be released from jail where he is serving a seven-year sentence for rape and is not due for release until 2026 after a parole request was rejected.
Brunswick prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told MailOnline: ‘We have not yet been made aware of the court’s ruling. We don’t understand why Mr Fulscher has it ahead of us as these rulings should be given simultaneously to both parties.
‘We are still trying to find out exactly what has happened and if it has gone against us we will appeal or have the case moved to another city of jurisdiction in Germany.’