German suspect in Madeleine McCann case faces trial for unrelated sexual offence charges

Christian Brueckner, a 47-year-old German national, is currently on trial in Braunschweig, Germany for several sexual offenses committed in Portugal between the years 2000 and 2017. He is already serving time in prison for raping a 72-year-old US tourist in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Prosecutors believe that Brueckner is also the main suspect in the rape of a 72-year-old woman in the Algarve region in 2007, but they do not anticipate being able to bring charges in this case in the near future. Brueckner is also a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a British girl who went missing in Praia da Luz in 2007. His defense lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, has been accused of bias and unsuitability in the case. The trial was adjourned until next week, and Brueckner faces three counts of rape and two counts of sexual abuse of children in this latest case. It is important to note that these cases are separate from one another.