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A key person of interest in the widely publicized case of Madeleine McCann has been released from a German prison, where he was completing a prison term for an unrelated offence.

Christian Brückner was transported out of prison by his legal representative. He remained out of sight in the car, but police confirmed his departure from the detention center.

He had been found guilty of sexually assaulting an senior citizen in the Portuguese resort in the mid-2000s and is set to be required to wear an ankle tag after his release.

Brückner, in his late 40s, has not faced charges with offenses linked to the disappearance. Brückner has denied all connections.

Case Details of the Disappearance

The young girl vanished in the Portuguese resort of a coastal town in 2007. She and her siblings had been left sleeping in a rental unit while her mother and father, Kate and Gerry, went to a local eatery.

The case has grown into one of the highest-profile unsolved missing person cases globally.

Probe and Findings

German prosecutors have cited evidence—including cellphone records—indicating Brückner may have been in the area when she vanished, and have consistently maintained that they believe he is the perpetrator.

Yet, they have not found strong enough proof to bring charges.

Brückner, who spent many years in the southern Portugal, was a drifter, a petty criminal, and a convicted sex offender. He has multiple previous convictions, including sexually abusing children in the mid-90s and recent years.

Recent Searches

Authorities from both police carried out a new operation between the family’s holiday location and properties associated with the suspect in June this year, but this did not produce new leads.

Last year, the search team conducted searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 50 kilometers from the resort.

Brückner spent time in the region between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the body of water.

Legal Challenges

In October last year, the suspect was cleared of unrelated sexual offences by a German court, alleged to have taken place in the country between 2000 and 2017.

Due to variations between judicial frameworks, German authorities suspect Brückner of murder in relation to Madeleine McCann, while UK authorities continue to treat her case as a unsolved disappearance matter.

The funding allocated for the Operation Grange has totalled more than 13 million pounds since over a decade ago. A further £108,000 was approved from the UK authorities in April.

The child disappeared in the previous decade, at the age of 3 years old.