German prosecutor says currently 'no prospect' of charges against Madeleine McCann suspect

LONDON (Reuters) - The German prosecutor investigating the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann has said there is currently no prospect of charges being brought against the main suspect in the case, Sky News reported on Friday.

Christian Brueckner was formally identified in 2020 as a suspect in the case of Madeleine McCann, who disappeared from her bedroom in 2007 during a family holiday in Portugal. He denies any involvement.

Brueckner, a convicted child abuser and drug trader, is currently serving a seven-year prison term in Germany for raping a woman in the part of Portugal's Algarve region where McCann went missing. His sentence runs until September 2025.

In October, Brueckner was acquitted of unrelated charges of rape and sexual abuse of children by a German court, raising the possibility that he will be released from jail this year.

"There is currently no prospect of an indictment in the Maddie case," German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said in an interview published by Sky News on Friday. He added that as things stand Brueckner would be released in early September.

McCann, then aged 3, disappeared from her bedroom during a family holiday in the resort town of Praia da Luz while her parents were dining with friends nearby. Her fate remains a mystery and no body has ever been found.

German police said in June 2020 that McCann was assumed dead and that Brueckner, in his 40s, was likely responsible for it,

The prosecutor said he could apply for a new arrest warrant for Brueckner to remain in custody beyond September. One of Brueckner's lawyers, cited by Sky News, said the defence team would oppose such appeal.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by William James)