The prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case could flee to a country without an extradition treaty if he walks free from prison in just weeks, investigators fear.
Christian Brueckner, 47, is currently serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for raping a woman in Portugal in 2005.
His prison term is set to end this September, much earlier than prosecutors had hoped.
Brueckner remains under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but has denied any involvement and has not been charged.
Christian Brueckner is the chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Getty/PA
German prosecutors now face a race against time to bring charges before Brueckner's release.
Last October, he was acquitted of unrelated sexual offences in a German court, dashing prosecutors' hopes of extending his detention with a 15-year sentence.
A new Channel 4 documentary has revealed that German police possess an 80GB hard drive and laptop linked to Brueckner.
These devices reportedly contain "crucial images from Brueckner's time in Portugal" and "evidence said to be key in persuading police that Madeleine died shortly after her disappearance."
In 2016, investigators discovered disturbing materials at a disused box factory in Neuwegersleben, Germany, owned by Brueckner.
Christian B is suspected of abducting the missing British toddler Madeleine McCannGettyThe cache included children's clothing, small bikes, and more than 75 swimsuits and toys believed to belong to young girls. Some items were reportedly buried beneath the body of Brueckner's dead dog.
Police uncovered up to 8,000 files, including USB sticks and hard drives containing alleged disturbing images and graphic stories of child abduction.
A laptop and satellite navigation system seized from the location allegedly traced Brueckner's movements around the Arade Dam, just 35 miles from Praia da Luz.
The Sun's foreign editor Nick Parker warned in the documentary: "There is every chance with his track record that he could just disappear.
"He could get out of Germany and vanish, God knows where. Should that happen, it's very difficult to see where the McCann inquiry might go."
Madeleine McCann disappeared during a family holiday in 2007PAMadeleine disappeared from her bedroom during a family holiday in Praia da Luz in May 2007, while her parents dined with friends nearby.
Her fate remains a mystery and no body has ever been found. German police said in June 2020 that Madeleine was assumed dead and that Brueckner was likely responsible.
Brueckner spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine's disappearance.
German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has stated: "We have evidence that he killed Madeleine McCann."
In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
The case has now cost UK taxpayers almost £13.5million over 18 years.
