Latest news with #Sylt
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner's hopes of early prison release could be dashed after mystery woman's plea to German cops
Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, may not be able to leave prison early, following a mystery woman's plea to German authorities. The convicted rapist, 48, owed €1,446 (£1,246) for a fine from a previous set of convictions, keeping him behind bars until at least the end of January 2026. He was fined in 2016 for drunkenness in traffic and forgery of documents, and in 2017 for assault. Prosecutors have been desperate to keep him behind bars, fearing he will immediately flee Germany and prevent them from further investigating Madeleine's 207 disappearance. But after an anonymous woman paid these outstanding fines, he was set to be released from prison on September 17. The woman, identified as a former cop with Germany's FBI who claims to have been involved in wiretapping his cell, is now asking for her money bank, throwing Brueckner's early release into disarray. The former police officer said she made a mistake, which officials are reportedly taking seriously. Local media has reported that she claims to have been unaware of his former convictions, including forgery charges. She reportedly told officials: 'I therefore wish to contest my declaration of intent to repay the payment and invalidate the legal transaction accordingly.' Brueckner's lawyer, Dr. Friedrich Fülscher, previously told Bild that they believed upon his release the convicted paedophile plans to live on the island of Sylt in northern Germany, where he previously received a 21 month sentence for drug dealing. Brueckner, who has been under investigation by German police in connection with Madeleine's disappearance since 2020, has vehemently denied the allegations. Last October, he was also cleared of a series of unrelated sex attacks that took place in the Algarve between 2000 and 2017. Brueckner's lawyer Philipp Marquort previously told MailOnline that he believed the sexual offender 'will leave Germany' when released, but that he would likely remain in jail until early 2026. He added: 'I haven't had a chance to speak with him yet about the searches and I am not going to comment on what has been happening in Portugal. 'What I will say is that I don't think he will be coming out in September as he doesn't have any money to pay the fines because it went on his legal fees, so I can't see him leaving prison until early next year. 'He will probably see the news on the TV in his cell and he will talk about it when he calls me next time but I still do think when he is freed he will leave Germany.' It comes just weeks after two buried guns were discovered during an intensive three-day search operation near Brueckner's former ramshackle cottage home close to where Madeleine vanished. Last month, German authorities launched fresh searches through Atalaia - a stretch of scrubland littered with rubbish and graffiti-covered buildings linked by a network of dusty tracks known in Portuguese as the Fisherman's Trail. Connecting Praia da Luz with the nearby town of Lagos, the track is a popular hiking route for tourists, but for four days last week it was cordoned off for members of the BKA - Germany's equivalent of the FBI - to conduct searches. The search marked the first in Portugal for more than two years, following a near-week-long operation involving Portugese, German and police officers at a remote dam a 40-minute drive from Praia da Luz. In a newly unearthed letter seen in June, German paedophile Brueckner boasted that police don't have evidence to pin allegations against him in relation to the toddler's case, gloating how the dropping of the probe 'will hit the world like a bomb'.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Forbes
4 Vacation Design Hacks That Lower Stress And Increase Happiness
Incoming waves wash away footprints left by visitors in the sand along a beach on Sylt Island near ... More Wenningstedt, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup) As July 4th approaches, many employees are getting ready for a vacation. While some longingly anticipate some time off, for others, the thought of vacation induces stress. Health and well-being take a significant hit one to two weeks before a vacation, as shown by research published by Jeroen Nawijn, tourism researcher at Breda University, and Professors Jessica de Bloom, University of Groningen, and Sabine Geurts, Radboud University. The reason? Employees try to finish extra work before they leave, and are busier at home getting ready to go. Vacations are designed to provide employees with a much-needed break from the busyness of work. But if we feel more stressed before we even arrive at our destination, what is the point? There is clear evidence that individuals who vacation more frequently tend to have better health. One study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine, even shows that those at risk for cardiovascular disease can reduce this risk by taking frequent vacations each year. The question is thus not whether you should take a vacation, but how you vacation most effectively. Previously, I advised taking frequent but short vacations if you are worried about work piling up. You can also plan a vacation closer to home, or at home, if you dread long travel queues. There are many more ways to design smarter vacations to avoid stress and enjoy your vacation. In her book 'You Need a (Better) Vacation', Jennica Day, vacation expert and consultant, lays out evidence-based principles of designing vacations that lower stress and increase a Vacation for You, Not for Your Followers To design a good vacation, you need to know yourself. You are the one taking the vacation, so the only leading question should be what you (and any travel companions) enjoy most. 'You Need a (Better) Vacation' includes exercises to match your personality with certain types of vacations. For instance, if you are extroverted, seeking vacations to mingle with others will give you energy. Introverts, on the other hand, might be happier when they build in enough me-time to decompress. Current stress levels can also guide vacation designs. Adventures that require extended travel and include intense experiences can certainly help you forget about work. But if your body battery is empty, a more relaxing vacation at a quiet destination might be what you need to recharge. Jennica Day warns against designing vacations that are inspired by others, whether it's friends you admire or famous influencers. 'Humans tend to compare themselves and do what others do to fit in. But if you end up at a tropical party island because that's where Beyonce and Jay Z vacation while you hate crowds, you missed an opportunity for a vacation that makes you happy.'Plan Fun Events at the Right Time Humans tend to evaluate and remember experiences based on two components: The most significant event and the end of the experience. This rule is also known as the peak-end rule in psychology and has received compelling scientific support. For instance, when asked to recall a recent work meeting, what stands out might be a clever, hilarious, or dumb comment from a coworker (peak), and the triumphant, jovial, or tense atmosphere when the meeting wrapped up (end). You can use this rule to your advantage when you plan a vacation. Instead of cramming each vacation day with special events, it's better to plan one peak experience and a fun event to wrap up your vacation. These will be the events that you carry with you when you reminisce about your vacation, so they are worth preparing. The peak-end rule also prevents you from overplanning your vacation, making it look more like a workday with a to-do list, rather than time to relax and being open to what comes your way. Avoid Endless Research for the Perfect Vacation It is tempting to spend weeks hunting for the right flight price. Or lose yourself in hours of reading reviews to find the perfect accommodation. If you genuinely enjoy price hunting and review reading, this makes sense. However, for most people, buying flights and booking accommodations is not enjoyable. Constantly questioning if you got the best deal or if there might be something better out there raises stress levels. Minimizing the time spent planning, researching, and booking your vacation limits this type of stress. Jennica Day applies a project management approach to vacation planning and advocates for timeboxing. It is founded on the principle that people take as much time to complete a task as you give them. For instance, if you schedule a two-hour meeting to discuss an item, you likely will use up both hours. It is smarter to schedule one hour to keep everyone on point and schedule a new meeting for unresolved issues. The same logic applies to vacation planning. Start with ten minutes to outline the bare essentials of your vacation (e.g., destination, dates). Then, allow yourself one hour to plan more details, such as flights, accommodations, and peak experiences. Schedule a new time for any unfinished vacation plans. Reflect and Adjust Your Vacation Design Not all vacations are equally fun. Jessica de Bloom, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Groningen, and her research team followed approximately 100 workers over seven weeks, asking them about their health, mood, and energy levels before, during, and after a vacation. Twenty-three percent of vacationers did not feel better after their vacation, and 17 percent felt worse. There is thus room for improvement when it comes to vacationing. A good starting point is to learn from past mistakes. In "You Need a (Better) Vacation," Jennica Day recommends scheduling time upon return to reflect on what went well and what went wrong during your trip. Writing down what you enjoyed most and what you found stressful can give clear cues for your next vacation design. 'If the jet lag made you too tired to enjoy your vacation, maybe the next vacation should be in the same time zone, or at home'. She is also a fan of keeping things simple. 'If you had an amazing vacation, why not go there again next year? You know what to expect, reducing stress and making more space for enjoyment.' With the correct planning, vacations can have even more benefits than they already have. The key is to know yourself and schedule a vacation that fits you, not to overthink (and over-plan) things, and learn from your mistakes. With those tips in mind, this might become the most relaxing vacation season yet.
The Sun
16-06-2025
- The Sun
Mystery woman pays Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner's £1,200 fines – confirming date monster will be freed
A MYSTERY woman has paid Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner's £1,200 of outstanding fines. The monster's release date from prison is now confirmed for September 17 after prosecutors had hoped to keep him behind bars. 5 5 5 Brueckner, 48, owed €1,446 (£1,232) for a fine from a previous conviction, Bild reports. The unpaid money had been hoped to keep Brueckner behind bars until the end of January - giving investigators crucial time to bring charges over the missing British toddler. But an anonymous donor has now paid the fine - allowing Brueckner to walk free when he was due to. Brueckner's own lawyers revealed the mystery woman's help in German newspaper Bild but it remains unclear who she is. Tuesday marks exactly three months until the man suspected of kidnapping and killing the three-year-old Brit will walk free. Brueckner's lawyers claim the fiend plans to live on German millionaire playboy island of Sylt, where Brueckner previously dealt drugs. But prosecutors fear he has plans to leave Germany. If he travels to a non-extradition country it could be impossible to bring him back for a court case. Brueckner is also reported to have had extensive cosmetic surgery in the past to alter his appearance raising the possibility her could do it again. He has a long history of evading court sentences and police. The mystery payment comes after a gun was reportedly found during the latest search near Bruckner's former ramshackle cottage in the Praia da Luz area. The 48-year-old German sex offender is said to have carried a gun with him during his time living in the Algarve. The three-day search had widely been labelled a flop after police appeared to leave the site next to Praia da Luz empty-handed last week. 5 As eagle-eyed police did find tiny fragments, which they are speculating could have links to Madeleine after prime suspect Brueckner wild camped at the site, the Berlin Morning Post reported. The samples were sent to Germany for testing amid hopes they could finally reveal the forensic link cops are missing on the case. Cops are understood to have found clothes and animal bones during the extensive search through an area known as Brueckner's "rat run". Without evidence pinning Madeleine's disappearance to the convicted German rapist, prosecutors risk not being able to get the arrest warrant they need to keep Brueckner behind bars. The search took place around an area of scrubland which is located close to where the British toddler was staying with her parents back in 2007. It was reported that animal bones and adult clothing were the only things unearthed - but no traces could be linked to Madeleine. This quickly dashed hopes of pinning Brueckner with fresh DNA evidence until the latest developments today. It comes as The Sun uncovered new Maddie evidence in a bombshell documentary. The world exclusive doc lifts the lid on gripping new information and reveals why Brueckner is the prime suspect. Our compelling investigation unveils the horrors found at his abandoned factory lair - and his obsession with small children. 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. June 1, 2025 Police order a renewed search for clues in Praia Da Luz on the Algarve in Portugal. It lasts for just three days.
