Relatives of a woman raped by Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner say he must face court over the girl’s disappearance.
Brueckner is behind bars for offences including the 2005 rape of an American widow in Praia da Luz, the Algarve, where Madeleine vanished two years later.
Now, speaking for the first time, the victim’s nephew says the family believe Brueckner, 44, was involved in the youngster going missing.
The nephew said: “When we discovered that this man was also being probed over that poor girl Madeleine McCann, it completely stunned us.
“In fact, it made us wonder just how many victims he could have had. I really hope they can catch him on that and prevent him from ever getting out again.”
The man’s aunt was 72 when balaclava-clad Brueckner invaded her home, attacked her with a sword and inflicted a 15-minute assault.
He dodged justice for 12 years for the attack until two former pals reported him to police, claiming they had discovered disturbing footage he had kept. The footage was never recovered.
But DNA taken from a hair at the scene helped convict Brueckner and he eventually got seven years in jail.
Prosecutors in his native Germany are now investigating him on suspicion of being involved in Madeline’s disappearance and fear he could be behind at least five other sex crimes, including a sex assault on a girl of 10.
The rape victim’s nephew spoke in My Search For Madeleine, a new book on the case by journalist Jon Clarke. The nephew, who lives in the US, added: “It was a horrible attack.”
The aunt died in March after rebuilding her life – including resuming her passion for travel. Her nephew said: “She did not want it to ruin her life – she carried on.”
Madeleine was days short of her fourth birthday when she was taken from an apartment while on holiday with her younger twin siblings and parents Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leicestershire.
It was May 2007 and Brueckner was living nearby at the time. He returned to Germany but it later emerged he had used a mobile phone close to the holiday flats complex the night Madeleine vanished.
New reports have suggested Brueckner is complaining about treatment at a jail known as “Germany’s Alcatraz”. He is said to be in solitary at Oldenberg, near Bremen.
German prosecutors are compiling evidence against Brueckner and fear Madeleine was murdered. His lawyers say they are waiting to be presented with any evidence of his alleged involvement.
