German paedophile Christian Brueckner named as official suspect in Madeleine McCann case
dailystar.co.ukChristian Brueckner an official suspect over Madeleine McCann’s disappearance in their first formal statement on the decision.It is believed that the move, making Brueckner, 44, an “arguido”, is linked to the upcoming 15th anniversary of the young girl’s abduction.An "arguido" - normally translated as "named suspect" or "formal suspect" - is someone who is treated by Portuguese police as more than a witness, but has not been arrested or charged.Under Portuguese law, a person declared an arguido - "arguida" in the case of a woman - has legal protection that is not extended to a witness, including the right to remain silent during questioning and the right to legal representation.This has important legal ramifications, because whilst in Germany there is no time limit for a murder charge, in Portgual there is a strict 15-year limit.Yesterday evening (April 21) Portuguese sources said Brueckner had been informed of his new ‘arguido’ status in Oldenburg Prison in northern Germany where he is serving seven years for raping an American pensioner in 2005 in Praia da Luz.It gives Portuguese authorities the ability to charge him further down the line by effectively ‘stopping the clock’ on the time limitation for bringing a prosecution if German prosecutors decide they haven’t got enough evidence to charge the paedophile they regard as their prime suspect.Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher said: "The step taken by the Portuguese authorities should not be overrated.“Without knowing the Portuguese legal situation in detail, I assume that this measure is a procedural artifice to stop the statute of limitations threatening in a few days."The country’s PJ police force has yet to officially comment.Portuguese sources have said the.
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