Christian Brueckner arrives at the Landgericht Braunschweig state courthouse for one of the final days of his trial for sex crimes. Photo / Getty Images
Christian Brueckner arrives at the Landgericht Braunschweig state courthouse for one of the final days of his trial for sex crimes. Photo / Getty Images
The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has emerged from hiding to confront the prosecutor leading the investigation against him.
Christian Brueckner was filmed arriving at the office of Hans Christian Wolters, a German lawyer, who for five years has tried to charge the convicted paedophile and rapistwith the suspected abduction and murder of the 3-year-old.
Brueckner was unable to meet the prosecutor, but told his representative that he wanted help to “get my life back”.
The 56-year-old was released from Sehnde prison in northern Germany earlier this month after serving a seven-year sentence for raping a pensioner and was last seen living in a safe house in Neumunster city.
He has since travelled three hours to the office of Wolters in Braunschweig to challenge the lawyer, who he claims is to blame for ruining his life.
Wolters has previously said he was “very confident” Brueckner was behind the disappearance of Madeleine, who vanished from an apartment in Portugal’s Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her parents and twin siblings.
The lawyer has been unable to produce enough evidence to formally charge Brueckner but said last month that he was the only suspect involved.
Brueckner has consistently denied involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Standing outside Wolters’ office this week, wearing a dark green jacket, sunglasses and grey trousers, he told Sky News: “The prosecutor refused to meet me, but I told his representative I wanted his help to get my life back.
“I’m being hounded by the media, and it’s his fault. I want him to take responsibility.
“I was told there was nothing they could do to help. I had been convicted and released, and I wasn’t their responsibility.”
This undated handout image supplied by the Carabinieri Milano shows a police mug shot of Christian Brueckner. The image was taken in 2018 in Milan where Brueckner was arrested and extradited to Germany for the rape he was recently imprisoned for. Photo / Getty Images
Wolters told The Daily Telegraph: “The accused in the Madeleine McCann murder case visited the Braunschweig public prosecutor’s office today.
“His statements concerned exclusively personal matters that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Braunschweig public prosecutor’s office. After being informed of this, he left the office after a few minutes.”
Under the terms of his release, Brueckner’s travel is restricted heavily as he must wear an electronic ankle tag for the next five years and has surrendered his passport.
If he violates these conditions, he faces a fine or imprisonment of up to three years.
Brueckner is understood to have left Neumunster under a police escort after locals complained to the city’s officials about their decision to house a dangerous sex offender.
Karin Mundt, a local councillor of the hard-right populist movement, Heimat Neumunster (Homeland Neumunster), told locals on social media to be vigilant, not go out alone, and make sure that their children and elderly relatives were safe.
Residents have taken to a community Facebook group with 22,000 members to air their concerns.
One woman posted: “My niece is shivering with fear and has locked herself in because he has become her immediate neighbour.
Madeleine McCann. Photo / Supplied
“She told me this two hours ago. I understand her. She is only afraid to leave the house or apartment despite the obvious surveillance.
Another woman added: “I wouldn’t want to go out any more if I had someone like that in my neighbourhood.”
On Friday, three police vans were seen arriving outside his safehouse with officers leading the convicted paedophile away from the ground-floor apartment where he had been staying.
As he was being led away, locals were heard shouting “scum” and “shame on you”.
Brueckner’s legal team said he would likely be moved near Munich in southern Germany.
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