More results...
CHECKING in their bags before heading off on a trip of a lifetime around Europe, Katyna Baia and her partner, Jeanne Paolini, couldn’t have been more excited.
But the last thing the couple, 40 & 44, expected was to be banged up in a cell, …
CHECKING in their bags before heading off on a trip of a lifetime around Europe, Katyna Baia and her partner, Jeanne Paolini, couldn’t have been more excited.
But the last thing the couple, 40 & 44, expected was to be banged up in a cell, …
WHEN Christian Brueckner is freed – as soon as next week – he will be one of the most ‘wanted’ men in the world – and unbelievably one of the most protected.
Having worked closely on the Madeleine McCann case for the last 12 months, I know more than most how dangerous Brueckner is – but I can now reveal how his cushy prison release could see the prime suspect in the Maddie disappearance slip through prosecutors’ fingers for good.
Convicted rapist Christian Brueckner will be freed in just weeks, but his profile means he can be considered under threat[/caption]
Brueckner is suspected of snatching and killing British toddler Madeleine McCann[/caption]
Brueckner was designated a psychopath by court psychiatrists and one of the “top most dangerous” people in society[/caption]
After spending seven years behind bars in Germany for the horrific rape of an elderly woman, dangerous fiend Brueckner is due for release in a matter of weeks.
Yet unbelievably, German laws mean the convicted rapist paedophile could be offered a raft of concessions on his release that would never be considered acceptable here in the UK.
I was part of The Sun’s recent bombshell documentary, Madeleine McCann: Inside the Secret Evidence, which lifted the lid on a dossier of circumstantial evidence found at Brueckner’s abandoned lair in Portugal.
After months of trailing Brueckner, I could imagine nothing more terrifying than seeing him released to prowl among the public.
Now I can reveal how the sex monster suspected of snatching and killing little Maddie will be placed back into society – and the freedoms he’ll have upon his release are enough to make you sick.
Laughably, despite an initial travel ban, he’ll later be allowed to jet around Europe as he pleases – as long as he calls a probation officer once a week to check in, he is deemed “under control”.
He could even be SMUGGLED out of prison to a safe house at a secret location by German federal agents, who will bear legal responsibility for his safety.
Such is the jumpiness from officials, afraid of facing accusations of failing to protect him from vigilante attacks, that rumours of an early release are rife in German justice circles.
Right now, prosecutors are rushing to try and have special conditions put on his release, terrified he could strike again when he is free – or worse, that they might lose track of him.
With convictions for abusing a girl of five and brutally raping an American pensioner in the same village where Madeleine disappeared in Praia De Luz, officials want him slapped with a curfew and an electronic tag so they can monitor him when he’s released.
A court psychiatrist labelled him a “psychopath” and one of the “most dangerous men in society”, meaning lawyers are also desperate to enforce a curfew and travel restrictions.
German politician Sebastian Fiedler – who oversees the justice system – told The Sun: “It should be a concern for all of us that Brueckner is being released.”
Brueckner has a history of fleeing a country when he has been suspected or even accused of a crime.
Back in 1994, he fled Germany for Portugal to avoid a two-year youth custody sentence after being convicted of the sexual abuse of a child, but returned in 1999 to serve the sentence.
Fearing Brueckner could slip through their fingers for good, Maddie cops are desperate to stop him from fleeing Germany on his release to a country with a non-extradition treaty, taking all remaining hopes of a conviction with him.
The system out there is mad – it feels like it is stacked in favour of rapists and paedophiles.
Source close to case
Prosecutors had hoped that charges would be brought before his release date – five years after he was first declared a formal suspect in 2020 – but a lack of evidence connecting him directly to the case means he will now walk free in weeks.
A source close to the case said: “Brueckner walking free is a nightmare for justice officials on so many levels.
“First, there is the embarrassment that they have failed to keep him behind bars.
“Then there is the fear he could strike again – a prospect experts are convinced of.
“Above all is the fear he might disappear before ever answering questions over cop suspicions he knows what happened to Madeleine McCann. They suspect he might be the only one who knows.”
While curfews, tags and restrictions could all be easily added in the UK as part of a convict’s license conditions on release from prison, there is no guarantee any of this will happen in Brueckner’s case.
The German legal system is stacked heavily in favour of individuals’ rights, meaning there is a good chance a court will throw out all applications to enforce conditions.
Unbelievably, one court date for an application to have him tagged and put under curfew has already been cancelled over security concerns for Brueckner – despite HIM posing the threat to the public.
The source added: “Perversely, officials are just as worried something might happen to Brueckner – and they could face claims from him that they failed to keep him safe.
“The system out there is mad – it feels like it is stacked in favour of rapists and paedophiles.”
Brueckner’s profile means he can be considered under threat from members of the public or even previous criminal associates.
For the last few months, prison staff have been keeping a close eye on the inmate, assessing the dangerous sex offender in his cell.
The 49-year-old drifter, originally from Wurzburg, Germany, voluntarily stays in Schutzhaft, or ‘protective custody,’ within the prison amid concern for vigilante attacks from others, making the task of pinpointing his ability to interact safely nearly impossible.
What is certain is that his lawyers will have been arguing their client is at risk – let’s face it, they whinged to a court he wasn’t being given enough cheese in prison, so there is no doubt they will argue he is a special case.
Perversely, officials are just as worried something might happen to Brueckner – and they could face claims from him that they failed to keep him safe.
Source close to case
Prison officials, probation services, and sometimes the police will be involved in evaluating the level of danger a prisoner may face.
In Brueckner’s case, his notoriety in Germany means the German FBI, the Bundeskriminalamt, also known as the BKA, will likely have been called in to the discussions, too.
German laws will insist he is protected as he is delivered out of Government custody.
The suspicion is that the BKA, as the investigating force, will be responsible for ensuring his safe release from prison.
In practice, this could amount to Brueckner being “smuggled” out of the prison JVA Sendhe, where he is currently housed.
During his trial last year, Brueckner was moved backwards and forwards from the courthouse in Braunschweig, in blacked-out BKA cars with police escorts in front and behind.
Madeleine McCann vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz[/caption]
The Portugal apartment complex Maddie disappeared from[/caption]
For months, I have been reporting that the man suspected of kidnapping and killing Madeline McCann will walk free from prison on September 17.
At the back of my mind, I always felt someone somewhere would take responsibility and do something. Some official, or judge, or court would see sense and step in to prevent a man dubbed one of the most dangerous in society from being back out on the streets.
But here we are, formal, real preparations are being made for convicted paedophile and rapist Christian Brueckner to step out of JVA Sehnde prison, in Germany, as a free man.
In the UK, he would have a tag, a curfew, monitoring, and some kinds of conditions to act as a safety net to stop this monster reoffending or disappearing.
But in Germany, where individual liberty trumps public safety, Brueckner can drive to Spain and sit on a beach – and as long as he calls in once a week, he will be considered ‘on radar’. What a joke!
Makes Germany sound like a great place to be a violent offender, doesn’t it?
But the threat Brueckner poses to the public is only the tip of the iceberg. His walking free represents an enormous blow to hopes of a prosecution over the McCann case.
German police believe he is responsible and need more time to get their case ready for a German court.
But when he walks free, there will be little to stop him from leaving Germany and “disappearing”. He has a history of fleeing when accused or suspected of a crime. He knows what to do. Except this time, hopes for the McCann case could go with him.
Prosecutors are making a last-minute bid to put restrictions on Brueckner to help them monitor him.
But after seeing so many other hopes for progress fall flat – I can’t say I’m confident these will work.
Brueckner can thank the German justice system – it’s really come through for him in his hour of need.
The same system could be used to get the rapist clear of the prison – and could even see him transferred to a second vehicle to secure his release.
One legal source said it was possible Brueckner’s release date could be brought forward further still if the situation is deemed too volatile to ensure his release unharmed – a move that would ensure an outcry from panicked members of the public.
Strict rights to privacy in the country mean he could also be entitled to help avoid the media at the moment of his release.
On the day of his release, Brueckner will be handed all of his personal belongings, and after seven years behind bars, he will be entitled to new clothes that will likely have been organised for him by his lawyer.
He will then be handed up to £200 of German Government-funded ‘‘release money” – but no more, as he has refused to work in prison over safety fears, so he will have no additional earnings to add to the amount.
Once Brueckner is safely out of prison, he will be passed on to probation for monitoring, although with nowhere near the level of scrutiny we expect of serious offenders being released in the UK.
He can sit on a beach in Spain, and as long as he calls a probation officer once a week, he is deemed “under control”.
But for Irish holiday rep Hazel Behan, who claimed in court that Brueckner tortured and raped her at knifepoint in 2004, leaving her fearing he would cut off her head, the idea of him walking free makes her “skin crawl”.
Her claims were thrown out by a German court following an eight-month trial last year, but an appeal is pending.
She says: “It is just completely irresponsible to let this man out at all.
“To give him free rein to run around Europe is terrifying. How can they hope to police him? What about his victims?
“It means he can come to Ireland. Imagine how sick that makes me feel – to think this rapist can go wherever and do whatever he wants.
“This man walking free makes my skin crawl. If the rest of the world understood what he was capable of, they would feel the same.
“Someone needs to do something.”
Brueckner is expected to remain subject to mandatory reporting, so probation officers can keep tabs on him.
And it is almost certain that BKA officers will keep him under surveillance as they continue to investigate him over the McCann case.
Such is Brueckner’s profile; local police might even be called in to help monitor him, with rising concerns over strangers seeking out vigilante justice against him.
He will not be granted a safe house, witness protection known as ‘Zeugenschutz’ or a new identity, unless a deal is cut behind bars with prosecutors, which is impossible to imagine.
Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann[/caption]
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.
Under the terms of his release, Brueckner will not be eligible to travel abroad immediately – meaning border alerts will be put in place to stop him from leaving the country.
But within a matter of weeks, these are expected to be lifted.
At that point, he will be at liberty to travel within Europe – but under the conditions of his release, he will be expected to contact a probation-style officer by phone, at least, every week to update them.
Brueckner, designated a psychopath by court psychiatrists and one of the “top most dangerous” people in society, will almost certainly be offered psychiatric services and counselling to help him adapt.
But he has already bragged, “There is nothing wrong” with me, and he has no need to go through any rehabilitation process.
What happens next will then be up to him.
AMSTERDAM has turned orange in grief after the brutal murder of 17-year-old Lisa – allegedly at the hands of a migrant already facing charges of rape and assault claims.
The…
A GUNMAN who allegedly killed two police officers could be hiding in a cave as his family handed themselves in.
A major manhunt is still underway for Dezi Bird Freeman, 56, who allegedly gunned down “execution style” three officers who were conducting a search warrant at a property in Porepunkah, Australia on Tuesday morning.
A manhunt is still underway for Dezi Bird Freeman who allegedly gunned down cops[/caption]
The search continued into Wednesday evening as the alleged gunman’s family turned themselves in to authorities[/caption]
Police sources told the Herald Sun it was a “straight-out execution” when Freeman allegedly opened fire with a shotgun as officers entered a bus where he and his family live.
A 59-year-old detective, just days from retirement, and a 35-year-old senior constable were killed in the horror attack.
A third officer, meanwhile, was shot in the thigh and is undergoing surgery in a Melbourne hospital.
The remaining seven members of the 10-officer team were unharmed.
On Wednesday, the search for the alleged killer continued as his family, who were feared to have been kidnapped by Freeman handed themselves in to authorities late on Tuesday.
Freeman’s whereabouts, meanwhile, remain unknown with cops believing he may have fled into the nearby dense bush.
The 45-year-old is well known to police, having been in and out of court for driving and traffic offences, defying police orders, and verbally abusing a judge in a roadside drug-test case last year.
In 2021, he was arrested at an anti-government protest. He has also previously compared police to Nazis.
Australian outlets are reporting that Freeman is a self-declared “sovereign citizen” – part of a fringe movement that rejects the authorities of Australian laws and government.
Often called “SovCits”, adherents have been Australia for decades, with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) previously describing them as mostly harmless.
But the movement has gained traction in recent years, fuelled by pandemic-era mistrust, and a 2023 AFP briefing note warned it has “an underlying capacity to inspire violence”.
Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed that ten officers went to the Porepunkah property around 10.30am on Tuesday to execute a search warrant when shots were fired.
He said: “They were fired upon. The two deceased officers are still at the scene. A third officer was seriously injured and is currently in surgery in hospital.”
Bush said the other officers on scene were uninjured, but stressed the incident was “still active and ongoing”.
“We have deployed all specialist resources into the area to arrest the person responsible… [they] are currently there looking for this person.”
That includes homicide detectives, the Armed Crime Squad, the Fugitive Squad and specialist police units.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed one person with serious lower-body injuries was flown to hospital in a stable condition.
The attack unfolded in Porepunkah, a small Alpine town of about 1,000 residents, located 186 miles north-east of Melbourne.
Local areas have been shut to aid the search operation[/caption]
About 50 officers and a police dog were reported at the scene[/caption]
The local primary school was placed into lockdown and the Alpine shire council closed all public facilities “effective immediately”.
Alpine shire mayor Sarah Nicholas said it had been an “unsettling” and “emotional” afternoon for the small community.
“Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community… We are grieving together,” she said in a statement, paying tribute to the officers killed and offering “thoughts, love and unwavering” support to their families.
“We hold our police in the highest regard. They serve with courage, compassion, and dedication, and their loss is felt profoundly across our region,” she added.
Nicholas also thanked teachers at the nearby school for keeping children calm during the lockdown, and locals for heeding police instructions. She closed with a plea: “Please stay safe.”
Prime minister Anthony Albanese said: “Our thoughts are with the police for the work they do, each and every day.
“SOVEREIGN citizens” – often called SovCits – are part of a fringe movement that falsely claims individuals can opt out of Australian law and government authority.
Followers often argue they are not bound by taxes, licences, fines, or court rulings.
The movement has existed in Australia for decades, borrowing heavily from conspiracy theories in the US.
While always on the margins, SovCits became more visible during the Covid pandemic, when mistrust in government and police surged.
Although many adherents are non-violent, police say confrontations can escalate when SovCits refuse to recognise authority.
Some have clashed with officers over property disputes, traffic stops, and legal orders.
The Australian Federal Police has warned the movement has “an underlying capacity to inspire violence.”
A 2023 AFP briefing note said SovCits are becoming more organised, using social media to spread their views and recruit supporters.
Authorities say numbers remain small but pockets of activity have been reported in regional areas.
Most activity involves disruptive legal claims and anti-government rhetoric — but some adherents have been linked to armed standoffs and violent threats.
“The men and women who wear the uniform of the police force, take risks each and every day.”
Premier Jacinta Allan told parliament: “Victoria police officers and all of our first responders show extraordinary bravery and courage every single day. They are the best of us.”
A large police operation remains underway in Porepunkah, with about 50 officers and a police dog reported at the scene.
The local airfield has been shut to the public to allow emergency access.
Meanwhile, locals are being warned to stay indoors, with PCC Bush saying: “I want to further assure the rural community around Bright that we will do everything to bring this person into custody so that your community is safe.
“Can I please ask you just to stay at home, not go out and about at the moment, until this operation is concluded?
“I’m leaving now to head to the area to support our officers and support the operation.”
A DAD has been arrested after DNA results revealed his step-daughter gave birth to a baby with a 99.9 per cent match to him.
Dustin Walker, 34, is accused of sexual abuse after the “traumatised” girl, delivered the child their home in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Cherie Walker, 33, has been charged with enabling sexual abuse[/caption]
Mr Walker, the girl’s step-dad, and her mom Cherie Walker, 33, were arrested last week and initially charged with one count of felony child neglect following the baby’s birth on August 16.
The parents claimed they didn’t know the girl, who hadn’t been to a doctor in a year, was pregnant.
On Monday, their charges changed after a DNA test revealed the step-dad was a 99.9 per cent DNA match for the baby’s dad, The Muskogee County District Attorney’s Office told NBC News.
Mrs Walker was charged with enabling child sexual abuse, while her husband was charged with sexually abusing the girl.
In a statement, Muskogee County Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson said: “This is one of the most if not the most serious child sexual abuse and neglect cases I have ever prosecuted.
“This child is traumatised. She’s been through a horrific ordeal. I mean, not only has somebody gotten her pregnant, but she gave birth at home without medical assistance, and this will be her life for the rest of her life.”
She added: “Each of the charges against both defendants are punishable by up to life.”
According to court documents, the couple were also charged with six counts of felony child neglect, including failing to supply proper medical care and supervision to the child when she was in labour.
The other charges relate to the treatment and care of their five children – aged, two, four, six, and nine – who were found to be “living in deplorable” conditions.
Cheryl Adkins, who lives next door, claimed the kids had “no running water” for the last two to three years.
Referring to the child’s pregnancy, she told 2News: “This is getting to me. They robbed her of her childhood.”
The children were pulled from their home on Tuesday where they were found with “no clothes on” and “living in dog feces”, court records said.
The kids’ grandmother, known only as Michelle A, claimed the conditions were down to the number of animals living in the family home, adding that the couple “try to keep it clean”.
When asked about the parents’ treatment of their children, she insisted they “love those children”.
She added: “They’ve made my daughter and my son-in-law a monster.”
The couple will appear in court on September 3.
It comes just days after Brittney Mae Lyon, 31, was captured weeping as she was jailed for sending disabled children to her sick lover so he could rape them.
The twisted carer earned the trust of parents who left their kids under her supervision by boasting she had studied child development.
But the San Diego woman was actually sexually abusing the girls – providing them to her boyfriend Samuel Cabrera, 31, so he could molest them.
In some cases, he filmed the horrific abuse on victimss as young as three years old and as old as seven.
The disabled children were autistic and non-verbal.
Grandmother Michelle A claims the couple have unfairly been labelled as ‘monsters’[/caption]
DUTCH police still haven’t figured out the nationality of the migrant accused of stabbing to death 17-year-old Lisa in Amsterdam.
The unnamed suspected allegedly followed th…
DUTCH police still haven’t figured out the nationality of the migrant accused of stabbing to death 17-year-old Lisa in Amsterdam.
The unnamed suspected allegedly followed th…
A DUTCH schoolgirl allegedly murdered by an asylum seeker had phoned emergency services in terror just minutes before she was found stabbed to death.
Lisa, 17, from Abcoude, was c…
PRINCE Andrew’s sex-abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre names former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in her autobiography from beyond the grave.
Lawyers were in a six-month legal…