Kiel, Germany — Christian Brueckner, the longtime prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is facing a new investigation after allegedly attacking police officers outside a supermarket in northern Germany.

The incident took place on June 6 in Kiel. According to German media, Brueckner, 49, photographed police officers with his mobile phone. When the officers objected and asked him to hand over the device, he refused, resulting in a physical confrontation. One officer sustained a knee injury during the altercation.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that “a physical assault or act of resistance against law enforcement officers occurred.” Brueckner is also under investigation regarding the photographs. His lawyer, Philipp Marquort, rejected the accusations, noting that the pictures were taken from more than 40 meters away and describing the matter as “the persecution of innocent people.”

Brueckner was released from a German prison in September 2025 after completing a sentence for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Portugal. He has never been charged in connection with the 2007 disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal. German authorities publicly identified him as a suspect in 2020, and Portuguese prosecutors formally named him an “arguido” in 2022. He continues to deny any involvement.

Since his release, Brueckner has been subject to restrictions including an electronic monitoring tag and residence requirements. He previously lived in a tent in Kiel under police protection due to public hostility. Investigations into Madeleine’s disappearance by British, German, and Portuguese authorities remain ongoing.

Sources:

• New York Post