Mystery woman who paid fine to free Madeleine McCann suspect is ex-cop
Christian Brueckner was facing extra time behind bars because he could not pay a fine. But now a former technician in Germany's BKA - their equivalent of the FBI - has paid the cash
A former police officer has paved the way for the release of Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner by secretly paying his court fines.
German authorities hoped outstanding levies for an offence in jail would keep the 48-year-old rapist and paedophile behind bars until January. But they were dealt a blow when a mystery woman paid the £1,300 fines needed for him to be freed on the earliest possible date in September. And now it has emerged the anonymous donor is a former employee of the Bundeskriminalamt - Germany's equivalent of the FBI. Her actions means investigators will miss out on crucial extra time to bring charges over Madeleine's 2007 disappearance.
Brueckner is nearing the end of a seven-year jail term for raping an American pensioner in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. German prosecutors named him as their prime suspect in the Madeleine case in June 2020 but have yet to charge him.
In May he was convicted for verbally assaulting prison guards and also has outstanding fines for assault. The mystery woman, a former technician from the BKA, transferred €1,447 (£1,238.27) to pay the fines earlier this month.
According to Der Spiegel she is a former surveillance operative who once worked in audio intelligence. She was allegedly upset after investigators bugged Brueckner's jail cell without permission.
The woman claims she only meant to pay a fine relating to insulting a prison officer and did not realise the charges included assault. She described it as a 'misunderstanding'.
Brueckner is now due to walk out of prison on September 17 and has boasted of planning to go into hiding. Politicians and victims' groups want an inquiry into how a woman once trusted with surveillance operations ended up helping Brueckner.
'This is not just a scandal – it's a catastrophic failure of judgement and oversight,' one MP told Der Spiegel. 'The police must explain how this could happen under their watch.'
Earlier this week it was reported Brueckner is planning to move to Germany's 'billionaire playground island' when he is released from jail. His lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher has claimed Brueckner plans to stay in Germany after his release - and has already chosen a new home.
'According to my information, he plans to settle in Schleswig-Holstein,' Fuelscher told Bild. And Brueckner has a very specific location in mind - the exclusive North Sea island of Sylt.
'Sylt has appealed to him in the past,' Fuelscher added. Sylt is Germany's northernmost island, nestled in the North Sea just off Schleswig‑Holstein.
It has been connected to the mainland by the Hindenburgdamm causeway since 1927. In the 1960s Sylt reinvented itself into a jet‑set playground for rich movers and shakers, and it is still this way today.
Despite a lengthy police investigation, detectives appear to be no closer to charging him over Madeleine's disappearance. He was cleared last October of a string of sex crimes he was accused of carrying out in Portugal.
Prosecutors are awaiting the outcome of an appeal against those verdicts lodged in Germany's Federal Court of Justice. Brueckner denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
German search teams spent three days hunting for evidence in Portugal earlier this month. Brueckner was living in a ramshackle farmhouse on the edge of Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished from the holiday resort in May 2007.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
American-Iranians worry about safety of loved ones as communication becomes harder
American-Iranians say they are worried about the safety of their loved ones in Iran as the recent attacks is making communication much harder. NBC News' Keir Simmons has more on the communication inside Iran.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Middle East situation ‘perilous', says Lammy amid calls for more talks
David Lammy flew from Washington to Geneva on Friday to meet Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi alongside his French and German counterparts as the UK continued to press for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East crisis. The talks followed US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would delay a decision on joining Israeli strikes against Iran for up to two weeks. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Lammy told reporters: 'It is still clear to me, as President Trump indicated yesterday, that there is a window of within two weeks where we can see a diplomatic solution.' Urging Iran to 'take that off ramp' and talk to the Americans, he said: 'We have a window of time. This is perilous and deadly serious.' He added that the US and Europe were pushing for Iran to agree to zero enrichment of uranium as a 'starting point' for negotiations. But Mr Araghchi said Iran would not negotiate with the US as long as Israel continued to carry out airstrikes against the country, and insisted his country's nuclear programme was entirely peaceful. Both sides continued to exchange fire on Friday, with Iranian missiles targeting the city of Haifa while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv's military operation would continue 'for as long as it takes'. Meanwhile, the UK Government has announced it will use charter flights to evacuate Britons stranded in Israel once the country's airspace reopens. Mr Lammy said work is under way to provide the flights 'based on levels of demand' from UK citizens who want to leave the region. The move follows criticism of the Foreign Office's initial response, which saw family members of embassy staff evacuated while UK citizens were not advised to leave and told to follow local guidance. The Government said the move to withdraw temporarily family members had been a 'precautionary measure'. On Friday, the Foreign Office announced that UK staff had also been evacuated from Iran, with the embassy continuing to operate remotely. But the Government continues to advise British nationals in the region to follow local advice, rather than urging them to leave.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Lammy urges Iran and US to keep talking as Middle East conflict continues
The Foreign Secretary met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday alongside foreign ministers from France and Germany and the EU's foreign policy chief. Following the meeting, Mr Lammy said the Europeans were 'keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States'. He added: 'We were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' Friday's meeting followed Donald Trump's statement that he would delay a decision on whether the US would join Israeli strikes against Iran for two weeks, raising the prospect of a negotiated solution to the crisis. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said the group had left the room 'with the impression that the Iranian side is fundamentally ready to continue talking about all important issues'. Speaking to broadcasters after the meeting, Mr Lammy described the situation as 'perilous' and urged Iran to 'take that off ramp' and 'be serious about the diplomacy that is required at this moment'. He added that the US and Europe were pushing for Iran to agree to zero enrichment of uranium as a 'starting point' for negotiations. But Mr Araghchi said Iran would not negotiate with the US as long as Israel continued to carry out airstrikes against the country. Tel Aviv's campaign continued on Friday, with Israel saying its aircraft had hit military targets including missile-manufacturing facilities as it continues to attack locations connected with Iran's nuclear programme. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. Meanwhile, the UK Government has announced it will use charter flights to evacuate Britons stranded in Israel once the country's airspace reopens. Number 10 said on Friday morning the situation remains 'fast-moving' and it will continue to be monitored closely. A spokesman added: 'We are advising British nationals to continue to register their presence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, to be contactable with further guidance on these flights.' Mr Lammy said work is under way to provide the flights 'based on levels of demand' from UK citizens who want to leave the region. 'The UK will provide charter flights for British nationals from Tel Aviv when airspace reopens,' he said. 'The safety of British nationals remains our top priority.' According to the Israeli government, some 22,000 tourists are seeking to board evacuation flights. It is unclear how many of these may be UK citizens. Government advice for British nationals in the country remains to follow local guidance, as well as to let officials know about their presence within Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Land routes out of Israel remain open and British staff are on hand to support UK nationals who have crossed the border, he added. The move follows criticism of the Foreign Office's initial response, which saw family members of embassy staff evacuated while UK citizens were not advised to leave and told to follow local guidance. The Government said the move to temporarily withdraw family members had been a 'precautionary measure'. On Friday, the Foreign Office announced that UK staff had also been evacuated from Iran, with the embassy continuing to operate remotely.
