Prosecutors who claimed ‘concrete evidence’ have no jurisdiction to pursue case
After years in which German prosecutors have doggedly maintained they have “concrete evidence” that Madeleine McCann is dead, and convicted rapist Christian Brückner “did the deed”, defence lawyer Friedrich Fülscher appears to have pulled a rabbit out of the hat.
He has successfully argued the case that Braunschweig (Brunswick) prosecutors led by Hans Christian Wolters have no jurisdiction in the matter.
Mr Fülscher has always maintained that the charges levelled against his client were trumped up, “built from the worst witness you can get”, and essentially not worth the paper they were written on.
Attempts by Braunschweig judiciary to accuse Brückner of further sex crimes have also, this far, appeared to lead nowhere.
According to reports coming out of the UK today’s news will be a “hammer blow to Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry who had hoped there was light at the end of the tunnel following their daughter’s mystery disappearance from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz” almost 16 years ago.
But to be fair Fülscher has prepared the ground, in as much as he warned of the frailties of the case since 2020.
Christian Brückner too has insisted on his innocence multiple times.
Even Madeleine’s parents have admitted to being ‘baffled’ over the German case.
Why did Braunschweig prosecutors ever believe they had jurisdiction? This has to do with Brückner’s “last known address” in Germany before he went abroad, explains the Mail today.
Prosecutors believed this was within their jurisdiction, but Brückner has been able to produce evidence of a later residence in the neighbouring state of Saxony-Anhalt.
As a result, the Regional Court of Braunschweig has lifted the arrest warrant taken out against him.
Is this finally an end of the ‘final roll of the dice’ (no further suspects can be cited over the disappearance of little Madeleine, as the Statute of Limitations has kicked in)?
According to the Mail, no it isn’t. Braunschweig prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters (unaware when he spoke to the paper of the court’s ruling) has said: “We are still trying to find out exactly what has happened and if it has gone against us we will appeal or have the case moved to another city of jurisdiction in Germany.’
The Resident will attempt to get a response from Friedrich Fülscher who has travelled to Portugal on a number of occasions in his capacity as Christian Brückner’s defence counsel.
By coincidence, the 16 year anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz falls in two weeks’ time.
