Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner set to face key witness in court during sex assault trial
1 March 2024, 09:25 | Updated: 1 March 2024, 09:26
Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner will face a key witness in court who claims he snatched the Brit child.
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Manfred Seyferth, 68, has been called as a character witness at Brueckner's trial, and is expected to say he is an "evil psychopath" who is capable of anything.
Brueckner is accused of three rapes and two sex assaults between 2000 and 2017. He denies all charges.
Mr Seyferth used to be friends with him when the pair both lived near Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007.
Madeleine, who was three at the time, went missing from her bed when she was on holiday with her family in Portugal in the same year.
Mr Seyferth was previously a witness in Brueckner's 2019 conviction for the rape of a pensioner.
During his appearance in court, which is not directly related to Madeleine, he is set to reveal what the suspect was doing during the period Irish holiday rep Hazel Behan was raped in 2006.
His recount of events has to line up with another of Brueckner's former friends, Helge Busching, who also helped in uncovering footage in the previous rape case.
Mr Seyferth previously said that "evil" Brueckner was "easily capable of taking a small child".
“I never liked him and he is a psychopath," he told the Sun. "He is obsessed with small children and I didn’t like it.
"He always had a young girlfriend with him and I think he is easily capable of taking a small child.
"That’s why I think he may have something to do with Maddie. He broke in and saw her and because he likes young girls — he’s got lots of convictions - he took her."
He told the paper in 2020 that he did not see Brueckner for months after the disappearance of Madeleine.
Brueckner will appear at Braunschweig regional court on Friday, facing of charges for raping Ms Behan at knifepoint after tying her down.
The trial continues.
