Hard drive of sick images, stash of kids' swimsuits, masks and guns, 8 pieces of disturbing evidence against Christian B
BOMBSHELL evidence found at the lair of Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner is revealed for the first time today.
A Sun investigation, to be broadcast tomorrow on Channel 4, has laid bare the haul found in a German police search
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The disturbing evidence shows Brueckner's obsession with young kids.
Children's clothes and toys were found at the paedophile rapist's abandoned lair, plus masks, chemicals and guns.
There was also a hard-drive of pictures which German investigators continue to keep secret — and is believed to indicate why they are sure Madeleine is dead.
Much of the newly uncovered evidence was found by chance at a disused factory Brueckner bought for £20,000 in 2008, a year after Madeleine vanished.
In 2016 a dog ran on to the property and appeared to find a grave. Local cops then discovered Brueckner's dead dog - but underneath was a wallet with six USB sticks and two memory cards.
They contained highly disturbing material — and 100 cops launched a full search of the compound in Neuwegersleben, central Germany.
They found stories by Brueckner showing his obsession with snatching children.
He describes drugging a mum and daughter outside a pre-school — and abusing a blonde girl aged four.
There were also records of horrifying Skype chats with other paedos, telling one he wanted to 'capture something small and use it for days'.
Child abuse images are also said to have been linked to Brueckner during the searches.
Police found a case with pictures of girls aged four and five.
There were also more than 75 kids' swimming costumes plus toys and small bikes.
A creepy, nude selfie links the suspect directly to key Madeleine location the Aardes Dam, 35 miles from where she vanished in Praia da Luz.
Three black-market guns and ammunition were discovered. A mask was also found with creepy mock-up pictures of Brueckner.
Meanwhile, a satnav showed his movements in the Algarve in the years after Madeleine disappeared.
A weird nude selfie links the suspect directly to the Arade Dam, a key location 35 miles from where she vanished in Praia da Luz.
Officers also tracked down an insurance claim signed by Brueckner, showing he had a crash at a festival where he allegedly told a pal Madeleine 'did not scream'.
Within months of the search, Brueckner had been convicted of child abuse.
It would be another year before an associate tipped off cops about his potential link to Madeleine.
Brueckner's lawyers failed to respond to requests for comment.
THE EVIDENCE
Insurance document
THIS proves for the first time Brueckner was at a festival in April 2008 when he allegedly all but confessed to killing Madeleine.
Witness Helge B claims he told him the girl 'didn't scream', but credibility questions have been raised.
The insurance document, filled in and signed by Brueckner, shows that he crashed his motorhome at the festival in Orgiva, Spain.
Weird images
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CREEPY photographs show Brueckner at a key location of interest for Madeleine investigators.
In some, he is seen modelling a mask and even posing naked at the Arade Dam, 35 miles from Praia da Luz, which was searched in 2023.
A sat nav also found by officers shows his pattern of movements around the site in the years after Madeleine vanished.
Hard drive/laptop
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POLICE are in possession of a hard drive of images which were found hidden at Brueckner's abandoned lair in Germany.
The photos — taken in Portugal — are said to be crucial in persuading investigators that Madeleine died shortly after her disappearance in May 2007.
Other vital information was found on a laptop handed to police.
Jaguar and chemicals
A JAGUAR matching the description of Brueckner's vehicle in Germany was also found by cops.
Pictures show bottles of substances inside. Officers destroyed them without testing, but speculate that kidnap chemicals chloroform or ether could have been in the haul.
In his stories Brueckner fantasised about a kidnap using ether.
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Suitcase
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A METAL suitcase was discovered during the police search in 2016 containing chilling photographs of young girls.
There was also a list of phone numbers at the abandoned factory. An address book was also found separately nearby.
Paedophile Brueckner was convicted of an unconnected child abuse allegation within months.
Creepy finds
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MASKS, unlicensed guns and ammunition, children's toys and bikes were found at childless Brueckner's bolthole in Neuwegersleben, central Germany.
There were also 75 youngsters' swimming costumes. They were uncovered in a 100-officer search of the compound.
It came after disturbing images were found on data storage buried under his dead dog.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Here's a timeline of the case which has gripped the world.
May 3, 2007
Madeleine McCann disappears from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, sparking a massive police search and becoming one of the most famous missing persons cases in history.
January 15, 2016
Neighbour reports a possible 'grave' at Brueckner's abandoned factory in East Germany.
Cops find disturbing images on USB sticks and launch a full-scale search.
February 16, 2016
Christian Brueckner is convicted for abusing a girl of five in a park after images found on his laptop.
He was sentenced to 15-months behind bars but was already on the run by then.
May 3, 2017
Around this time, Helge B calls an information hotline after watching a ten-year anniversary special on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
He reports an alleged confession by Christian Brueckner.
September 27, 2018
On-the-run Christian Brueckner is arrested over outstanding drugs claims in Italy.
He is extradited to Germany the following year.
December 16, 2019
Christian Brueckner was convicted, in Germany, for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, after his DNA was matched to a hair found on her bed.
He was sentenced to seven years behind bars.
June 4, 2020
German prosecutors reveal to the world they have a suspect in custody under investigation for the abduction of Madeleine McCann.
For the first time they claim Madeleine is dead.
German media later name him as Christian B (Christian Brueckner).
June 23, 2023
In his first interview, witness Helge B alleges to German newspaper Bild that Christian Brueckner all-but-confessed the Madeleine abduction to him, by allegedly saying 'she didn't scream' as they talked about the case, at a music festival, in Spain.
February 16, 2024
Brueckner goes on trial accused of none-McCann allegations of rape and sex assault, in Braunschweig, Germany.
Prosecutors hope for a conviction to keep him behind bars permanently and lead to McCann charges.
October 8, 2024
Brueckner was acquitted of all claims.
Prosecutors launch an appeal, however. Decision pending.
September 17, 2025
Date on which Christian Brueckner will be released from custody without action being taken.
Prosecutors require an arrest warrant for a retrial over claims from last year - or over the McCann case.
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The staff member told the court: 'The managers told me they told the local authority but I don't know if they did. I don't think the nursery took action. 'After a week, Roksana was back at the nursery. They were not happy with me using the word pinching,' she said. 'They said I used the wrong word, pinching. I felt they did not deal with the situation right.' The staff member reported Lecka to the police when she found about the other allegations she was facing at her new job at Riverside Nursery, which she joined in January 2024. Summing up on Wednesday, the judge reminded jurors of the alleged child cruelty against the 17 children Lecka has denied wilfully harming. Jurors heard from former colleagues of Lecka as well as from Dr Stephen Rose, a consultant paediatrician whom was the crown's expert witness. He had studied the CCTV clips and photographs taken by parents on both days where there is footage and days where there is not. When asked for his expert opinion on a child who Lecka allegedly pulled out a crib and pinched and grabbed him, Dr Rose said the 'purple discolouration would be consistent with a pinch mark.' He said: 'It would be difficult to think of a different mechanism. In order to cause bruising there must be damage, rupture to the capillaries, there must be force, the force would be provided by fingers in a pinch. Dr Rose said it was a 'non accidental injury' and that a bruise caused by pinching a toddler would be 'painful because significant force is required to rupture capillaries.' Ms Ayling said: 'We suggest on any occasion you find there is bruising that evidence applies. Significant force is required to rupture capillaries and it is that rupture that caused the bruise. She added: 'Given the fact the defendant had to be using significant force to cause bruising where she did, that she would have seen the children's obvious distress when she assaulted them or ill treated them, yet carried on, it would be obvious that unnecessary suffering was likely to result each and every time she acted in same way. 'Or she may not have cared either way whether it resulted in suffering.' The defence said there were no safeguarding concerns about Ms Lecka before June 28. The head teacher at Riverside told the court how she brought Lecka pink roses to say how well she was doing in late May or early June. But the prosecution say the 'punching' incident on June 28, plus the 'bad treatment' of other children that day, 'gave staff grave cause for concern'. The head teacher reported the matter to the local authority, and the police attended on July 3 and began trawling through the CCTV. In closing arguments, Ms Piercy said there were 400 hours of CCTV which a 'small army of officers painstakingly reviewed from every angle.' 'Every step she took, every child she picked up, every nappy she changed', she added. Ms Piercy added: 'In our society, there is particular venom reserved to those who anyway mistreat the youngest and most vulnerable of our community.' 'Roksana has pleaded guilty to a number of offences which fall into that', she said, adding jurors 'will not like what she admitted to doing' and that it will have 'discoloured' her character. 'You are not here to like Roksana Lecka, you are here to judge her fairly on the evidence and in accordance with your oaths,' she said. Jurors were told most of the alleged incidents took place in the 'baby room' at Riverside Nursery, while some occurred in the 'baby sleep room' where infants lie in cots. The nursery follows the Montessori method of teaching, involving children's 'natural interests' instead of formal practices. The trial continues.
