New tips flood in after Maddie McCann suspect appears in German court

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A German court appearance by the top suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has led to a deluge of new tips that could be “vital” to solving the 17-year-old crime.

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According to an online exclusive from the U.K. Sun, Christian Brueckner’s appearance in a Braunschweig, Germany, regional court last week for unrelated offences has led to a number of new leads being forwarded to German detectives investigating three-year-old McCann’s disappearance from a rental apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.

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Brueckner, a 46-year-old convicted pedophile and rapist, formally became the primary suspect in the McCann case two years ago, but has not been charged. He was in court in Germany to face other sex crime charges, including three rapes, and is serving a seven-year sentence for rape.

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“New information has been coming in ever since Brueckner appeared in court last week,” a source told the Sun. “It’s a massive boost for German detectives because their investigation had really hit a bit of a brick wall. So they are really pleased about this and really hope this will give fresh impetus to the investigation into what happened to Madeleine.

“Having his face on TV screens and in newspapers across the world has generated fresh calls, tip-offs and leads, which they will look into and which they hope could prove vital.”

One of the new leads, according to the report, revolves around where Brueckner was living in Portugal when McCann disappeared. At that time, Brueckner was essentially homeless and moving around the country.

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“He was living a nomadic lifestyle,” the source said. “He was a drifter going from here to there and he would have come into contact with a lot of people. The police are convinced many of them may not yet have come forward.

“The publicity around this case could prompt someone who knows something into doing just that. This is what the German cops are now hoping for.”

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Portuguese police searched a remote reservoir in the Algarve region of Portugal last year, a site Brueckner was known to frequent at the time.

At last week’s rape trial, court heard how terrified Hazel Behan, the alleged victim, was of Brueckner, saying she was worried he would behead her. Court also heard that in 2004 he allegedly taped her legs to a table and raped her before asking if she was afraid of him. Brueckner denies raping Behan and committing other sex crimes.

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