The prime suspect in the high-profile case of Madeleine McCann's disappearance has been released from prison in Germany, where he had been serving a sentence for an unrelated offence. Christian Brückner was driven out in a black Audi by his lawyer with a police escort shortly after 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT). Brückner wasn't visible in the car, but police confirmed he had left Sehnde prison.
He had been convicted of raping a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005, and will be fitted with an ankle tag after his release from the prison near the northern city of Hanover. The German national, 48, has never been charged with any crime in relation to the McCann case. He denies any involvement.
Local police spokesman Lars Dehnert told the BBC: We said before that we wanted this to happen as smoothly as possible, adding that Brückner would be escorted for a short distance. With this our police operation has terminated, he added.
One of Brückner's lawyers, Philipp Marquort, told the BBC: I think Mr. Brückner is just relieved that all of the release process is over and that he is now out. He mentioned that Brückner needs time to settle down before his next court appearance.
In the UK, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley stated that Brückner "remains a suspect for us" within their ongoing missing person inquiry. Madeleine vanished in 2007 at the age of three from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.
Despite evidence suggesting Brückner's presence in the area during her disappearance, authorities have not found enough to bring charges against him. However, he is now subject to strict release conditions that include wearing an electronic ankle monitor for five years.
The investigation into Madeleine’s case continues to remain one of the highest-profile unsolved missing persons cases worldwide, and funding for the investigation has exceeded £13.2 million since 2011.
