Madeleine McCann: Cressida Dick discusses case in 2021
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Madeleine went missing when she was three years old, while her family were on holiday in Portugal in 2007. Convicted rapist and child sexual abuser Christian B. was identified as the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance by investigators in Braunschweig in June 2020.
They believe he is responsible for the killing of Maddie. Christian B. has always denied all allegations in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Today (Thursday), German news channel RTL reports that German prosecutors are preparing to bring charges against the incarcerated man.
It claimed: “The public prosecutor’s office is sure that they know the real perpetrator and is about to press charges: It should be Christian B.”
However, the path to conviction may not be a simple one.
READ MORE: Maddie suspect wanted to ‘capture something small and use it’ – claims
Claims: ‘Charges are soon to be brought against the main suspect, Christian B’ (Image: Getty)
According to the Sun, Christian B. has a “number of people” willing to provide an alibi for him at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance in Praia da Luz.
The paper previously reported that a new witness has come forward and claims to have been with the prime suspect at the time.
The Sun revealed yesterday (Wednesday) that she is just one of “multiple witnesses” whom Christian B. could turn to if charged with Maddie’s disappearance, according to a source.
That it may have taken nearly fifteen years to bring charges for Madeleine’s disappearance was attributed to the “amateurish” work of investigators in Portugal and Germany, RTL said.
Madeleine went missing when she was three years old, while her family were on holiday in Portugal (Image: Getty)
Sandra Felgueiras, a TV journalist in Portugal who has been investigating the case since it started, told the outlet: “The image I have of Christian B. is that of a criminal youth who came to Portugal and did all sorts of things that are intolerable.
“But the system wasn’t set up for this type of crime. I found that there was a spooky side to the Algarve, with a lot of strangers coming and going. Nobody knew where they were. Many lived in mobile homes.”
Christian B. previously raped a 72-year-old American woman while in the Algarve in 2005, but was not brought to justice for the crime for years.
RTL claimed that when investigating the rape, Portuguese authorities did not check for suspects who had a previous record for sexual abuse.
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Christian B. was identified as the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance by German prosecutors (Image: Getty)
In court, it said, he gave different addresses for his place of residence – all of which turned out to be wrong.
Ms Felgueiras commented: “He didn’t want to give his address because he knew there was stuff there that would incriminate him.”
Yesterday, RTL revealed disturbing messages purporting to be from Christian B. when officers searched his addresses in Germany, alongside “horrific” images of child sexual abuse.
To this day, Madeleine’s whereabouts remain unknown.
To this day, Madeleine’s whereabouts remain unknown (Image: Getty)
However, in 2020 German prosecutors said they believe the girl was dead.
Christian B was believed by prosecutors to be living in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007.
The day after Madeleine disappeared, the suspect transferred his Jaguar car to someone else’s name.
Police also uncovered phone records that appeared to place him in the Praia da Luz area on the evening of Madeleine’s disappearance.
She and her siblings had been left asleep in the couple’s ground-floor apartment on May 3 that year.
Her parents checked in on the children throughout the evening, until mother Kate McCann discovered Madeleine was missing at around 10pm.
A spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Braunschweig said: “It is correct that we hope to solve the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. It remains to be seen whether we will be able to do this. The investigations are currently ongoing.
“Whether this will lead to an indictment, I cannot say today. At the moment Christian B. is our only suspect.
“The German police in the form of the BKA is doing an excellent job in the investigation.”
