Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner gives new interview, says he was ‘selling drugs’ near family’s vacation rental the night she disappeared
The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann says he was selling drugs near her family’s resort on the night the 3-year-old vanished.
Convicted rapist Christian Brueckner has spoken about his whereabouts on the night the British toddler went missing, telling the Mail on Sunday in an interview published on September 19 that he was “selling drugs” on a beach “not far from Maddie’s hotel” in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
‘I was on the beach … selling drugs’
German prosecutors named Brueckner, a German national who spent years living in Portugal, as a suspect in 2020. The 3-year-old vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, while her parents, British doctors Kate McCann and Gerry McCann, dined with friends nearby.
Christian — who has denied any involvement in the toddler’s disappearance — told the Mail he was on a beach near the McCanns’ vacation apartment that night. The newspaper reported that he was about 150 yards from their rental.
“I was on the beach, not far from Maddie’s hotel, selling drugs,” he said. “I’d been in Spain and smuggled the weed into Portugal.”
‘My van was full’ of drugs
Christian went on to claim police stopped him multiple times that night.
“I was even stopped by police three times on the street [in Praia da Luz] while they were looking for Maddie,” he said. “Luckily, they didn’t find the drugs. My van was full of them.”
“I was making a quick getaway; there were flashing blue lights and checkpoints everywhere,” Christian continued. “I just thought, ‘Get me out of here.’”
Explaining why he had previously kept quiet about his whereabouts that night, Christian told the Mail, “I’ve kept quiet because the police want to frame me for the Maddie thing.”
‘I have nothing to do’ with Madeleine’s disappearance
Christian continued to insist he had no involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
“I have nothing to do with the little girl’s disappearance,” he told the Mail.
“I would be happy if Maddie turned up tomorrow, then everyone would immediately understand that everything against me is and was staged.
“But that probably won’t happen, so I remain the prime suspect.”
Questions remain over phone call
A source close to Kate and Gerry told the Mail, “If what [Christian] says is true, it obviously begs the question of what might have been if the Portuguese police had not let him slip through their fingers.”
Portuguese police faced criticism over their handling of the initial investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.
Christian was released from prison in Germany in September 2025 after serving seven years for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal. He was placed under round-the-clock surveillance following his release.
A mobile phone registered to Christian was traced near the McCanns’ accommodation on the evening Madeleine disappeared, according to the Mail. German prosecutors have said they have “concrete evidence” against Christian but not enough to secure a conviction.
Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner admits he was just 150 yards from her holiday apartment on night she vanished https://t.co/dCxKjwHkxG
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) September 19, 2026
German prosecutor Christian Wolters said in 2020 that Christian’s Portuguese phone received a 30-minute call beginning at 7:32 p.m. on the night Madeleine disappeared.
When the Mail questioned Christian about the call, he said he couldn’t remember whether he’d ever used the number released by German police and denied knowing the man the newspaper identified as the caller, Diogo Silva.