Spanish cops have now released an image of James in their desperate attempt to locate him.
He is pictured ordering food at the kebab joint, wearing a blue T-shirt with his Jack Russell on his lap.
In one photograph, three diners appear to be enjoying a meal behind him as he stands at the checkout.
It comes as official records show James reported his passport as lost or stolen at the Irish Embassy on August 19 – a day after he was last seen or heard from.
At the time, his half-sister Nikita said: “We know he’d had a drink but as a family we don’t believe he would recklessly set sail in the dark at night,” she said.
“It doesn’t make sense for it to be ‘oh he fell overboard’ because he was drunk, there are a lot of holes in the story.”
Paddy’s Anchor previously shared appeals by James’ worried family on social media saying: “Many of you have been asking, so we want to share this post from Jemsie’s family.
“His sister is still searching for him after he was last seen here in Las Palmas.
“His boat has since been found off the coast of Gran Canaria, but there has been no contact from him since.”
A call was made between August 24 and 25 in relation to James’ boat as police found it a day later 50 miles offshore.
At first they said James’ Jack Russell, known as Thumbelina, wasn’t on board but later said she was found with the boat.
Timeline of James Nunan’s disappearance
August 18:
18:16: James films himself on Facebook Live walking at Playa del Confital beach
22:00: He is last seen leaving Paddy’s Anchor bar in Las Palmas
22:39: Bank records show he purchased food from Rico Doner Kebab
August 19: His passport is reported “lost or stolen” to an Irish consulate in Gran Canaria
August 22: James’ mum reports him missing to Essex Police
Between August 24/25: A call was made in relation to James’ boat
August 25: Police find his boat 50 miles off the south coast of Gran Canaria
August 27: Police say they have also found his dog Thumbelina
There remains no information on where James could be.
A witness came forward to claim he spoke to James as he said the Brit was drunk but not acting in any unusual manner.
He had reportedly told him about his sailing adventures and that he planned to head to Lanzarote.
Some pub staff also claimed they were told not to speak to anyone about his mysterious disappearance.
A man reportedly answered phone calls at the pub saying: “It’s an open investigation and we’ve been told not to speak to anyone and I’ve just got to go with that I’m afraid.”
James was sailing around the world when he vanishedJames’ Jack Russell, known as Thumbelina, was found
Asked if it was local police or Mr Nunan’s family who had asked him not to speak, he said: “I can’t talk about it, sorry.”
After his boat was found with the dog on board, it was towed back to Argineguin in the south of Gran Canaria.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard said: “We are looking into this case. Several lines of investigation are being pursued.”
Jemsie had been about five-and-a-half months into his solo sailing trip when he vanished – and had been planning to travel to Brazil.
Nikita added that a distress signal was sent out in relation to his boat between August 24 and 25.
The dog found on board has since been taken to an animal shelter.
Jemsie’s father has travelled to the island searching for any signs of the missing 34-year-old.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has confirmed it is “supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain“.
The National Police in Las Palmas and court officials on the island have been approached for comment.
He was headed for Brazil on his world tourPolice confirmed he last used his card to buy food at Rico Doner Kebab
CHRISTIAN Brueckner has been spotted gorging on a McDonald’s burger and smoking a cigarette in his first acts of freedom.
The convicted paedophile, 48, walked out of a German prison sporting an ankle tag on Wednesday as he remains the only suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Christian Brueckner was seen with an ankle tag after being released from prisonBILD FotoserviceHe was seen taking a puff on a cigaretteBILD FotoserviceAnd he also enjoyed a burger from McDonald’sBILD FotoserviceHandout
Brueckner remains the only suspect for investigators in the disappearance of Brit toddler Maddie[/caption]
Brueckner, who prosecutors still fear is a danger to society due to his twisted criminal past, was pictured stopping off for some food as he made his way to a safe house.
The rapist was seen tucking into a McDonald’s meal at Lower Saxony after he was given a police escort away from the Sehnde jail near Hanover.
Pictures show him gripping on to a burger in the car park with a coffee sat in front of him – and around 30ft from a kids park and Mothercare-style baby store.
He also ate Chicken McNuggets with sweet and sour sauce, according to witnesses.
A second snap shows Brueckner smoking a cigarette by himself.
He can be seen wearing a purple pinstripe shirt, beige trousers and black trainers.
Brueckner also put on a pair of sunglasses as he inhaled the cigarette.
On his right leg, a chunky ankle tag can be seen riding up his trousers.
In order to keep track of him, German courts made sure he was fitted with the device at all times.
The device will be geo-fenced to three-miles around his new permanent home.
This means cops will be alerted instantly if he steps outside the zone without permission.
A local said: “It’s terrifying he has been released from prison and come straight here.
“There are many McDonald’s not next to baby stores like this – take him there.”
Staff said they were unable to say if families were making use of the climbing equipment at the time but admitted: “We know who this man is, it’s not what we want here.”
It appeared the convoy had taken a route towards Oldenburg, in Germany, was Brueckner was previously imprisoned and where he is scheduled to have his next court date, for verbally abusing the governor, in October.
Brueckner will also be forced to surrender his passport and will be given a new government-issued ID card.
Despite the precautions, investigators still worry Brueckner could fleeGermanyas he doesn’t need a passport to movefreelywithin mainlandEurope.
His ankle tag will stop working the moment the sex offender skips past the German borders.
Brueckner’s dark past
CHRISTIAN Brueckner’s criminal record spans decades.
He was jailed in 1994 for sexually abusing children, convicted again of child sex abuse in 2016, and was living in Portugal at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
He was later convicted of raping the American tourist in Praia da Luz in 2005 – just yards from the McCann holiday complex – but was cleared last year in a separate rape and sexual abuse case.
A Sun investigation this year — aired on Channel 4 — revealed bombshell new evidence, including his obsession with snatching blonde girls.
But prosecutors are adamant he remains their focus.
Wolters has previously said: “There is no one else. He is the only suspect.”
Brueckner remained in the McDonald’s car park for just 15 minutes before he was driven away in his lawyer’s black Audi A6.
The same car had taken him from prison to the fast foodcourt at around 9:15am local time.
A chilling image showed Brueckner sat in the rear seat with his hand up in the air.
He covered his face with a blanket as the car sped past reporters.
Brueckner has always denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Brueckner, a drifter with a long history of sex offences against women and children, remains the only suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Despite spending years investigating Brueckner, German lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has admitted his team still doesn’t have enough evidence to bring charges over her disappearance.
Dan Charity
Brueckner stopped at the McDonald’s less than 100ft from a baby shop[/caption]
Dan Charity
Bruecker made the stop off after being freed from jail[/caption]
Dan Charity
The convicted paedophile covered his face with a blanket as his car sped past reporters[/caption]
Dan Charity
A police convoy took Bruckner to the McDonald’s as he left jail[/caption]
Dan Charity
Brueckner was freed from prison in Germany this morning[/caption]
He previously told reporters: “He is not just our number one suspect, he’s our only suspect.
“We have evidence against him but in our view it’s not strong enough to make a guilty verdict likely.”
Wolters reaffirmed his hopes to pin the case on Brueckner today as he said: “The release of Christian B has no direct impact on the McCann case.”
Brueckner has always denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley yesterday said the force was “taking stock” after Brueckner’s release.
He added of the peripatetic paedo: “He remains a suspect for us.
“We’re taking stock on where we are and the German [police’s] investigation and the Portuguese investigation and working out what we make of those.”
Extraditing Brueckner to face questioning in the UK would require cops here to have sufficient evidence to charge him over Maddie’s disappearance, The Sun understands.
EPA
Cops had to wrestle away journalists as Brueckner drove away[/caption]
AFP
Police officers entering the high-security prison in Sehnde near Hanover where Brueckner had been serving his sentence[/caption]
The Brit tot was only three years old when she vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
The parents were dining with friends in a nearby tapas restaurant on the night their daughter vanished, returning at 10pm to find her gone while her twin siblings slept.
The McCann case quickly became one of the biggest missing persons investigations in history and has seen multiple suspects let go and dead ends found.
This week, a new lead has emerged after a notorious network of paedophiles linked to a serial child-killer were feared to have ordered Maddie’s kidnapping.
A former top Belgian official, who led the inquiry into the murderer and child-molester Marc Dutroux, says a gang of traffickers could be connected to her disappearance.
Three days before the girl was snatched in 2007, Belgian cops had issued an alert to European police forces over intelligence that a paedophile gang had ordered a small child to be snatched.
It comes as a Sun investigation — aired on Channel 4 earlier this year — revealed the existence of a hard drive and laptop containing images from Portugal, closely linked to the belief held by cops that Madeleine is in fact dead.
TIMELINE OF THE MADDY CASE
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.
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.
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.
MADELEINE McCann suspect Christian Brueckner enjoyed his first taste of freedom by gorging on a McDonald’s burger – just yards from a baby shop.
The convicted paedophile, 48, had barely walked out of Sehnde prison in Lower Saxony when he was spotted tucking into a cheeseburger, nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, and a coffee in the McDonald’s car park.
AFP
Christian Brueckner was released from Sehnde prison in Germany[/caption]
Dan Charity
Upon release, Brueckner ate at a McDonald’s located approximately 30 feet from a baby shop[/caption]
Dan Charity
The franchise – Bay1One – sells prams, toys and toddler gear[/caption]
PA
Brueckner is the only suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance[/caption]
In a grim twist, the fast-food joint sits approximately just 30 feet from a BabyOne store – a franchise selling prams, toys and toddler gear.
Brueckner was seen wolfing down his meal, before puffing on a cigarette outside.
He wore a purple pinstripe shirt, beige trousers and black trainers, his eyes hiding behind dark sunglasses.
A chunky ankle tag strapped to his right leg was also clearly visible.
CHRISTIAN Brueckner is set to arrive at a safe house in Germany later today as he starts life outside of prison.
The convicted rapist will be fitted with an electronic tag geo-fenced to three-miles from his new permanent home.
This means cops will be alerted if he steps outside the zone without permission.
Brueckner will be forced to surrender his passport and given an ID card attempting to limit his movements to Germany.
But flight fears remained after it emerged the ankle tag would stop working the instant the sex offender leaves German borders.
Investigators worry Brueckner could flee Germany despite his conditions with no passport required to move freely within mainland Europe.
As part of their bid to interview Brueckner, Met detectives have applied to German investigators for formal legal assistance.
The status would give them access to all German files and witnesses amid apparent new interest from UK detectives in the case.
It follows claims from Germany that British intervention could be crucial to any hopes of keeping the case going.
The details around police surveillance of his movements remains unclear.
But the monitoring was expected to remain in place until Brueckner’s next scheduled court appearance, in October, over claims he verbally abuse a prisoner governor.
Within mainland Europe, no passport is needed to travel – and his tracking device will stop working if he escapes Germany.
He spent just 15 minutes outside the McDonald’s before being whisked away in his lawyer’s black Audi A6 to a secret safe house.
Brueckner remains the only suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished from a Portuguese holiday apartment in 2007.
German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters admitted: “He is not just our number one suspect, he’s our only suspect.
“We have evidence against him but in our view it’s not strong enough to make a guilty verdict likely.”
Dan Charity
A police convoy took Brueckner to a safe house after his release[/caption]
Dan Charity
Brueckner is driven away from jail by his lawyer[/caption]
Dan Charity
The convicted paedophile covered his face with a blanket as his car sped past reporters[/caption]
UK Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley added: “He remains a suspect for us.
“We’re taking stock on where we are and the German investigation and the Portuguese investigation and working out what we make of those.”
His release is another bitter blow for Kate and Gerry McCann, who have endured 18 agonising years searching for answers.
Three-year-old Madeleine was snatched from her bed in Praia da Luz while her parents dined nearby – sparking one of the world’s biggest ever missing persons hunts.
Brueckner, a drifter with a history of sex crimes against women and children, has always denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
But prosecutors insist he remains their prime focus.
TIMELINE OF THE MADDY CASE
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.
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.
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.
One even warned ahead of his release that the public has “to expect him to commit further crimes”.
In order to keep tracks of Brueckner he has been fitted with an electronic tag.
He will have to wear it at all times so police can keep an eye on his movements.
The device will be geo-fenced to three-miles around his new permanent home.
This means cops will be alerted instantly if he steps outside the zone without permission.
Brueckner will also be forced to surrender his passport and will be given a new government-issued ID card.
Cops believe this will help to limit his movements outside of Germany should the suspect ever try to run.
But flight fears are still lingering for prosecutors who are yet to have enough evidence to charge Brueckner with a crime relating to Maddie.
His ankle tag will stop working the moment the sex offender exits German borders.
Investigators also worry Brueckner could flee Germany despite his conditions due to him not needing a passport to move freely within mainland Europe.
The other details around police surveillance of Brueckner’s movements remains unclear.
But the monitoring is expected to remain in place until his next scheduled court appearance in October.
These will be over claims he verbally abused a prisoner governor while inside.
Over in Britain, Metropolitan Police detectives are still fighting to find justice for the McCann family after 18 long years.
They had filed a bid to allow them to interview Brueckner and try to finally crack the case.
Brueckner’s dark past
CHRISTIAN Brueckner’s criminal record spans decades.
He was jailed in 1994 for sexually abusing children, convicted again of child sex abuse in 2016, and was living in Portugal at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
He was later convicted of raping the American tourist in Praia da Luz in 2005 – just yards from the McCann holiday complex – but was cleared last year in a separate rape and sexual abuse case.
A Sun investigation this year — aired on Channel 4 — revealed bombshell new evidence, including his obsession with snatching blonde girls.
But prosecutors are adamant he remains their focus.
Wolters has previously said: “There is no one else. He is the only suspect.”
As part of their bid, Met detectives also applied to German investigators for formal legal assistance.
The status would give them access to all German files and witnesses amid apparent new interest from UK detectives in the case.
It follows claims from Germany that British intervention could be crucial to any hopes of keeping the case going.
Brueckner is believed to have turned down any interview request.
Brueckner, a drifter with a long history of sex offences against women and children, remains the only suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Despite spending years investigating Brueckner, German lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has admitted his team still doesn’t have enough evidence to bring charges over her disappearance.
EPA
Cops had to wrestle away journalists as Brueckner drove away[/caption]
Getty
Journalists gathered outside Brueckner’s jail waiting for him to exit[/caption]
AFP
Police officers entering the high-security prison in Sehnde near Hanover where Brueckner had been serving his sentence[/caption]
He previously told reporters: “He is not just our number one suspect, he’s our only suspect.
“We have evidence against him but in our view it’s not strong enough to make a guilty verdict likely.”
Brueckner officially left the high-security prison in Sehnde near Hanover just after 9:15am German time, this morning.
The rapist was given breakfast before being driven away in his lawyer’s black Audi A6.
A chilling image showed Brueckner wearing a red and white striped shirt as he sat in the rear seat with his hand up in the air.
He covered his face with a blanket as the car sped past reporters.
Brueckner has always denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
The Brit tot was only three years old when she vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
The parents were dining with friends in a nearby tapas restaurant on the night their daughter vanished, returning at 10pm to find her gone while her twin siblings slept.
The McCann case quickly became one of the biggest missing persons investigations in history and has seen multiple suspects let go and dead ends found.
Dan Charity
The rapist was given breakfast before being driven away in his lawyer’s black Audi A6[/caption]
Dan Charity
He covered his face with a blanket as the car sped past reporters[/caption]
This week, a new lead has emerged after a notorious network of paedophiles linked to a serial child-killer were feared to haveordered Maddie’s kidnapping.
A former top Belgian official, who led the inquiry into the murderer and child-molester Marc Dutroux, says a gang of traffickers could be connected to her disappearance.
Three days before the girl was snatched in 2007, Belgian cops had issued an alert to European police forces over intelligence that a paedophile gang had ordered a small child to be snatched.
It comes as a Sun investigation — aired on Channel 4 earlier this year — revealed the existence of a hard drive and laptop containing images from Portugal, closely linked to the belief held by cops that Madeleine is in fact dead.
TIMELINE OF THE MADDY CASE
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.
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.
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.
CHRISTIAN Brueckner erupted into fury at the sight of Madeleine McCann on TV before making a bizarre comment about “pigs eating human flesh,” a new documentary has revealed.
The shocking outburst came after the prime suspect saw the missing toddler in a news segment while working at a kiosk in Germany.
Madeleine McCann disappeared in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007AFPMadeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner is due to be released from prison on WednesdayDan CharityThomas Hurtle said he was ‘terrorised’ by Christian BruecknerITV
According to a man who worked with Brueckner at the time, the sex offender shouted “the girl is dead” as missing Maddie flashed on the television screen.
Brueckner was also reportedly heard saying “pigs can eat human flesh” in a further bizarre comment.
One ex-pat, who used to bump into the paedophile on beaches around the time of Madeline’s disappearance, also described Brueckner as a “pervert.”
Journalist Rob Hyde, who has been tracking the prime suspect since he was named a prime suspect in 2020, said: “He [Brueckner] would always walk around in a suit jacket, even though he was hanging around with petty criminals and low life.
“He wanted to look like the important person.
“A person who worked there told me about the news piece, about the Madeleine McCann case – it was running on the TV.”
“Brueckner then flips out, starts shouting the ‘Mädchen is tot’ – the girl is dead. And he makes a really odd comment, which is, ‘yes pigs can also eat human flesh’,” he revealed in the ITV documentary.
Speaking on the Madeleine McCann: Searching For The Prime Suspect programme, Ken added: “He is a predator, more than just a paedophile, he is a pervert.
“He should have been made a main suspect three hours after she went missing. I just don’t trust the guy, he gives me the creeps.”
A former top Belgian official, who led the inquiry into the murderer and child-molester Marc Dutroux, says a gang of traffickers could be connected to her disappearance.
Brueckner remains a suspect in the Metropolitan Police’s probe into the disappearance of Maddie, alongside Portuguese and German authorities that are also investigating the missing youngster.
The sex offender – who is due to be released from prison on Wednesday – was jailed in 2019 for the unrelated rape of a 72-year-old woman.
Other bombshell claims featured in the ITV documentary include stories from inside Brueckner’s life in a children’s home.
According to Thomas Hurtle, who says he was “terrorised” by Brueckner, the rapist’s “restricted” bedroom zone revealed hidden “strange jars” of “dead animals”.
“He never let anyone in [to his bedroom], it was practically a restricted zone. So everyone thought he must be hiding something in there,” Hurtle said.
“Then there were preserving jars with liquid inside, I thought they might be dead animals or some kind of innards.”
Hurtle also went into detail about his experience living with the German sex offender when they were children in the early 90s.
“For example, once he even threw a bottle at me. It was about food – when there wasn’t any left, he was so aggressive,” he said.
“He went off like a bomb. Smashed everything, threw bottles, broke doors. He attacked the carers – they even had to lock themselves in their rooms, they were that scared.”
The suspect has not been charged with any crimes in connection to Madeleine’s 2007 disappearance from Praia da Luz aged just three.
Met Police officers confirmed earlier this week that they had submitted a formal request to German authorities to interview convicted rapist.
However, the paedophile turned down the request.
Det Chief Insp Mark Cranwell said: “We have requested an interview.
“It was refused by the suspect.
“We will continue to pursue any viable lines of enquiry.”
Journalist Rob Hyde has been tracking Christian Brueckner since he was named a prime suspect in 2020Enterprise
Christian Brueckner remains a suspect in the Metropolitan Police’s probe into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann[/caption]
Paul Tonge
Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann[/caption]
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance
MADELEINE McCann vanished on May 3, 2007 – and cops believe Brueckner could have been behind her disappearance.
Almost 17 years on, no one has been charged in connection. These are the key dates
May 3, 2007 – Kate McCann finds Madeleine missing at 10pm
May 14, 2007 – Property developer Robert Murat is named an “arguido” or formal suspect
August 31,2007 – The McCanns launch libel action against Tal e Qual – a newspaper that claimed the couple killed Madeleine
September 7, 2007 – Kate and Gerry McCann are made “arguidos”
September 9, 2007– Madeleine’s parents return to England with their two-year-old twins
October 2, 2007– Lead detective Goncalo Amaral is taken off the case after criticising British police in a newspaper interview
July 21, 2009 – Portuguese police lift the “arguido” status of both Robert Murat and the McCanns
May 12, 2011 – On Madeleine’s eighth birthday, Scotland Yard launches a review into the case
April 25, 2012 – Scotland Yard officers say they believe Madeleine McCann is still alive
July 4, 2013 – Two years into a review of the case, Scotland Yard launched its own investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance
October 24, 2013– Portuguese police reopen their case after new lines of inquiry are found
November 27, 2013 – Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called for British and Portuguese police to work together
October 28, 2015 – Scotland Yard reduces the number of officers working on Madeleine’s disappearance
HELGE Busching is a man sleeping with one eye open – for he is a former pal of paedophile and Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner… and helped put him behind bars.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Busching reveals the…
Two of his six known victims starved to death, locked up in his soundproof cellar in Charleroi, Belgium.
The psychopath is also believed to have murdered at least two other girls and sold other children into slavery abroad in a four-year reign of terror – helped by his own wife and other accomplices.
It only ended in 1996 after cops rescued two kidnap victims aged 12 and 14 who had been held captive in the dungeon.
A former top Belgian official, who led the inquiry into the murderer and child molester Dutroux, says a gang of traffickers could be connected to Madeleine’s disappearance.
Cops investigating prime suspect and paedophile Christian Brueckner — set for release from jail tomorrow — are taking the claims seriously.
Three days earlier Belgian cops had issued an alert to European police forces over intelligence that a paedophile gang had ordered a small child to be snatched.
Marc Verwilghen, who served as Belgium’s justice minister for three years, told The Sun: “I have never had access to the Madeleine McCann files.
“All I can say is as soon as I heard about the case I had deja vu — because it reminded me straight away of Dutroux.
“When you look at the case it is of course possible Madeleine was stolen to order. The alert that was sent looks like it must have come from Belgian police and it should have been taken seriously.
“Dutroux investigators uncovered reports of possible paedophile rings operating in Belgium at that time but couldn’t finish their enquiry as this was focused on Dutroux, handling him as a lone actor.”
Admitting many “similarities” between the cases, Mr Verwilghen added: “It was clear paedophile networks and child- trafficking really did exist in Europe — we know this since Dutroux, but the enquiry committee was never allowed to look into them properly.
“It was clear that these existed to make money.
“These could be informal networks, one person dealing with another, but they existed.
Dan Charity
Belgium’s Marc Verwilghen fears a gang of traffickers could be connected to Maddie’s disappearance[/caption]
AFP
Three days before Maddie’s disappearance, Belgian cops had issued an alert over intelligence that a paedophile gang had ordered a small child to be snatched[/caption]
The apartment complex that Maddie disappeared from in Praia Da Luz, Portugal
“The Dutroux case showed us the abduction of children took organisation and planning and more than one person to make this work.
“Intelligence suggests a paedophile ring in Belgium made an order for a young girl three days before Madeleine McCann was taken. Somebody connected to this group saw Maddie, took a photograph of her and sent it to Belgium. The purchaser agreed that the girl was suitable and Maddie was taken.”
The Belgian police warning first emerged in 2008 when a fax was released as part of a bundle of files surrounding the McCann case.
In 2016, British cops probing her disappearance started looking into a gang of European traffickers, but the theory has never been publicly linked to German Brueckner.
Officials investigating the rapist believe Madeleine was likely stolen to order rather than being snatched by a “lone wolf”.
But their probe is focused solely on his alleged role and not on any wider paedophile network.
A source close to the case in Germany said yesterday: “Police take seriously the claims that emerged from Belgium — that Maddie was ordered to be stolen.
“They believe there is no way whoever took her could have been acting alone — that would have made no sense.
“But there is not interest in the network, which creates too many new agencies and they want to keep their focus on the current suspect.”
Timeline of Maddie’s disappearence
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.
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.
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.
