Madeleine McCann suspect tipped to ‘flee to Cuba’ as investigators fear time running out to charge him

Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, could flee to a country without extradition agreements with Germany, investigators have warned.

Fears of Brueckner running away are growing as his current prison sentence is set to end in September 2025.

If no charges related to the McCann case are brought against him before his release, Brueckner could potentially flee to nations such as Cambodia, the Philippines, or Cuba, according to German newspaper Bild.

These countries lack extradition treaties with Germany, which could complicate efforts in bringing Brueckner back to court.

Brueckner has been cleared of unrelated charges, including three counts of aggravated rape and two of sexual abuse of children.

However, he remains in prison serving a seven-year sentence for the rape of an American woman in Portugal’s Algarve region in 2005.

His latest trial has highlighted a potential weakness – as doubts have been cast over the credibility of a key prosecution witness, Helge B.

The judge branded him “unreliable and a liar” and dismissing his evidence.

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The development could potentially impact the McCann investigation, as Helge B is also a crucial witness in that case.

He had previously claimed Brueckner confessed to him in 2008.

Friedrich Fulscher, Brueckner’s defence lawyer, told the court that: “There was never a sufficient suspicion against his client”.

He also suggested that Brueckner might not have been charged with the unrelated offences if he had not been a suspect in the McCann case.

Despite the challenges, German prosecutors remain committed to the investigation.

Hans Christian Wolters, one of the German prosecutors on the case, said that the recent verdict “plays no role in the Maddie case and the investigation continues”.

Brueckner’s connection to the case follows his time in Portugal, including in the resort of Praia da Luz around the time of the British toddler’s disappearance in May 2007.

However, Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in her disappearance.