A German national linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been made a “formal suspect” by Portuguese authorities.
Christian Brueckner, 44, was identified as a murder suspect by German prosecutors in June 2020, but he has not been charged since then.
Investigators believe the convicted sex offender killed Madeleine, then three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007.
A statement was issued on Thursday by the Portimao section of the Faro department of criminal investigation and prosecution which, according to a translation, says that a person was made an “arguido” – which translates as “named suspect” or “formal suspect” – a day earlier.
The statement does not name Brueckner, but says the person was made an “arguido” by German authorities at the request of Portugal’s public prosecution service.
It says the investigation has been carried out with the co-operation of the English and German authorities.
Due to this move Brueckner, who is in prison in Germany, could be transferred to the Algarve for formal questioning.
The German newspaper Bild reported that Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, said the Portuguese decision appeared to be a “procedural trick”.
Reports suggested the move could be linked to the country’s statute of limitations, which does not generally allow crimes which carry a maximum prison sentence to be prosecuted more than 15 years after they were committed.
This would mean Brueckner could no longer be charged in Portugal after May 3.
Brueckner, referred to as Christian B in Germany due to the country’s strict privacy laws, was found guilty in 2019 of the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz, and sentenced to seven years in jail, at a court in Brunswick, Lower Saxony.
A federal court in Karlsruhe, a city in south-west Germany, rejected an appeal against the conviction in November 2020.
In Portuguese law, an arguido status can be a preliminary move ahead of an arrest being made or charges brought.
The Metropolitan Police continue to treat Madeleine’s disappearance as a missing persons inquiry.
Madeleine McCann disappearance
Madeleine's disappearance is one of the most famous missing persons cases in history after she vanished from her bed in a holiday apartment at a resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region of Portugal.
Her whereabouts remain unknown, although German prosecutors believe she is dead.
The case has continued through many bodies, including Scotland Yard and Portuguese authorities, but very little is still known about the incident.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here