The German authorities named Christian Brueckner as their prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case back in 2022 - but a witness claimed that the suspect spoke to him about kidnapping the young girl back in 2007. He has recently testified in court while Brueckner is on trial on several charges including rape and sexual assault.
Roofer Helge Busching, who claims to be a friend of Brueckner, explained that he had previously called the police’s Madeleine hotline back in 2017, and contacted the private investigator, Dave Edgar, to relay the information back in 2008 - one year after Maddie’s disappearance.
During interviews with Edgar, he revealed that Christian had told him that he had been the one to take Madeleine from her hotel room, claiming that he said that “she didn’t cry when I took her”.
He told German newspaper Bild in 2023: “I called Scotland Yard back in 2008, at the Maddie hotline. I said I knew someone who might have something to do with it and gave them the name. But nothing happened there. Nothing! I was never called back.”
Speaking to Sky News, Edgar admitted that he couldn’t recall speaking to the witness at the time, but had been incredibly busy and deal with many tip-offs after being recently hired by Madeleine’s family.
Appearing in court in the trial, which is unrelated to Madeleine’s disappearance, he said: “I didn't expect the consequences. I've lost my job, my flat and I have no friends. My life has changed negatively.” During his testimony, he also claimed that he saw footage of Brueckner assaulting an elderly woman and teenage girls.
The trial is set to continue with a testimony from Brueckner’s former prison cellmate, who will reportedly share details of stories he was told during their time in prison, including that Brueckner claimed to held a teenage girl hostage.
In response to Busching’s claims, Brueckner said: “We were not good friends then and we will certainly never be good friends in the future.” The criminal is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia de Luz in 2005.
Maddie McCann went missing from a hotel room in Praia de Luz in 2007, aged three. She was asleep in a room shared with her younger siblings, Sean and Amelie, while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dined with their friends in a nearby restaurant, and took turns to check on their sleeping children.
The couple regularly share updates on their search for Madeleine, and recently noted the 15 years since her disappearance back in 2022. The post read: “As always, we would like to thank all of our supporters for their continued good wishes and support. It is a huge comfort to know that regardless of time passed, Madeleine is still in people’s hearts and minds. Thank you.”