The Madeleine McCann case lasts 16 years
A former friend of the prime suspect in the disappearance Madeleine McCann, Christian Brückner, spoke publicly for the first time. In an interview with the German tabloid Bild, key witness Helge Bushing said the girl’s alleged killer said she “didn’t scream”. He also said that he had warned police and was ignored in his complaint. Speaking to the newspaper, Helge explained that she learned about the suspect’s dark past when she discovered videos of his sexual abuse. The records allegedly showed Brueckner sexually abusing an elderly American woman and a young girl Portugal. “[The teenage victim]said, ‘That borders on rape!’ And he just said: “Shut up.” Then I knew what kind of guy Brückner was,” said Helge. A year after the disappearance, the witness met the suspect at a music festival in Spain. “He asked me, ‘Don’t you go to Portugal to do business there anymore?'” I replied, “No, since the girl disappeared there I’ve had a lot of police stops and I don’t need that.” Madeleine’s disappearance came up and I said, ‘Anyway, I don’t understand how the little one could have disappeared without a trace.’ Christian had drunk two or three beers and said: “She didn’t scream.” I thought: He knows that. He has something to do with it.”