Sunday People

Maddie suspect has got 4 alibis

Witnesses support paedo

- By Patrick Hill patrick.hill@people.co.uk

AN alibi from a paedophile accused of abducting Madeleine Mccann has been backed by four people, a TV show claims.

This will pile fresh heartache on parents Kate and Gerry, who welcomed Portuguese police making Christian Brueckner an arguido, or suspect.

The declaratio­n was seen as a sign police may be finally near charging Brueckner, 44, over three-year-old Madeleine’s disappeara­nce in 2007 during a family holiday at Praia da Luz in the Algarve.

Four witnesses have spoken to a Channel 5 documentar­y about the case, which is hosted by expolice detective Mark Williams-thomas – who has been in lengthy contact with Brueckner via letter. Madeleine Mccann: Investigat­ing The Prime Suspect will air on May 3.

A Channel 5 insider said: “Christian Brueckner has provided a very detailed alibi for the days leading up to and after Madeleine’s disappeara­nce.

“That has been checked out by our team and fully examined. We’ve spoken to four people who have gone on the record to independen­tly, in different ways, support his alibi. They have got nothing to benefit from supporting him and, in fact, a couple of those people

really don’t like him but they have still backed his account.”

Speaking directly about Brueckner for the first time, Kate and Gerry said in a statement: “We welcome the news that the Portuguese authoritie­s have declared a German man an arguido.

“This reflects progress in the investigat­ion. Even though the possibilit­y may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her.”

It is thought Brueckner has been made a suspect as there is a strict 15-year time limit for a murder charge in Portugal, which is close to expiring.

Brueckner, serving seven years in Germany for the 2005 rape of a pensioner, was first named as a suspect by German police in June 2020 after tracing a mobile they believe he was using on the night to a phone mast near where Madeleine’s family were staying.

Our source claimed the German evidence is utterly flawed and added: “Brueckner is a nasty piece of work and he’s a child abuser, but there’s a big difference between being a child abuser and murdering a child. His account is that he wasn’t there.”

Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fulscher, said: “This move by the Portuguese authoritie­s should not be overstated.

“Does this step amount to an accusation? No, not at all.”

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SUSPECT: Christian Brueckner & Madeleine

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