Madeleine McCann: Bizarre twist as suspect, Christian Brueckner, may walk free with help from former cop

In a bizarre twist to one of the world’s most infamous cold cases, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is set to walk free from jail with help from a former German officer.

A German agent, known only as 39-year-old Rebecca K, who worked in a team that was pivotal in the arrest of Christian Brueckner on document forgery charges, said she “felt sorry” for the convicted rapist and paedophile after she felt his human rights were being violated.

In an interview with The Sun, K outed herself as the mystery benefactor who had reportedly paid Brueckner’s $2500 fine owed to the court, effectively meaning he may be released as early as next week.

Without the monetary assistance, Brueckner was due for release in January 2026, allowing authorities more time to continue gathering evidence into the three-year-old child’s disappearance from a resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

“I thought his human rights had been violated in the same way I felt my human rights had been violated by my former colleagues,” K, who is no longer working for German authorities, said

“When I paid the fine, I knew Brueckner was a convicted, violent rapist and child abuser, but his lawyer told me that he denies everything, and it was maybe wrong.”

K has admitted to ‘mistakenly’ divulging information about the McCann investigation to Brueckner’s lawyers and said “this was a completely honest mistake. I thought they already knew.”

K had said paying the fine was “a mistake” when she was first confronted by The Sun, and at one point planned to get it withdrawn.

If the fine payment stands, Brueckner must be released by September 17.

It’s a move that K admits was sparked by a bitter fallout with her employer, the Bundes-kriminalamt (BKA), which is the German equivalent of the FBI.

The former police officer claims she was unlawfully sacked from the force after trying to return from maternity leave, an allegation the BKA denies.

“If Madeleine’s parents asked me why I did this, I would say to help find out the truth about my own case,” K said.

Brueckner, who remains the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, was jailed for raping a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 — two years before the Leicestershire child disappeared from the same hotel.

Police have continued to press Brueckner to consent to questioning about the disappearance, after his phone was discovered to have been in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine vanished, and his car was re-registered to a friend the following day.

The Sun recently revealed new evidence — including Brueckner’s obsession with snatching and abusing young blonde girls and other evidence that placed him at key locations.

The reasons for K’s bizarre efforts to assist Brueckner have changed several times.

“I thought if he was being released early it would put pressure on my supervisors,” she said.

“I thought rather than let him disappear they would charge him over the McCann case. I thought that would mean all the information would come out and prove my case against German police.

“I wanted to withdraw the money but I was told it wasn’t possible. This isn’t what I wanted.”