The main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been released from a German prison.
Christian Brueckner has walked free from Sehnde Prison near Hannover, being driven away by his lawyer Friedrich Fulscher.
Mr Brueckner had been serving a seven-year prison sentence for an unrelated sex crime.
His legal team denies any connection with the McCann case.
Christian Brueckner is the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case | GETTY
A car believed to be carrying Mr Brueckner driving away from the prison
|REUTERS
German prosecutors first named Mr Brueckner a suspect in 2020, when he was already serving the sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman in part of Portugal's Algarve region where McCann went missing.
Local German media said his passport had been cancelled, he will be electronically tagged, must declare a place of residence and cannot leave without permission.
"This is an attempt by prosecutors to keep him in a kind of investigative detention where they have access to him at all times," lawyer Philipp Marquort was quoted as saying.
Mr Brueckner has convictions for child abuse and drug trafficking in addition to the rape of the woman, who has since died.
LATEST IN THE DISAPPERANCE OF MADELEINE MCANN
Madeleine McCann disappeared from a family holiday in Praia da Luz in 2007 | PAThe Metropolitan Police said Mr Brueckner declined their request for an interview in connection with the disappearance, adding they would continue to pursue any viable lines of enquiry.
McCann, then aged three, disappeared from her bedroom in a holiday resort as her parents dined metres away.
Brueckner, 49, lived in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007, where, according to court documents seen by Reuters he burgled hotels and holiday flats.
McCann's parents continue to campaign for their daughter, who would now be 22, to be found and issue a statement each year on the anniversary of her disappearance.
"We love her dearly and miss her beyond words," they wrote on their website.