Madeleine McCann prime suspect reveals 'plans to disappear' once released from prison in rare interview amid new search

The prime suspect in the highly-publicised Madeleine McCann case has revealed his 'plans to disappear' once released from prison in a rare interview amid a brand-new search.

It has now been 18 years since the three-year-old went missing while holidaying with her family in Portugal back in 2007.

Madeleine was sleeping in her Praia da Luz hotel apartment alongside her younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, while her parents Kate and Gerry McCann enjoyed a dinner at the Ocean Club restaurant on the night she vanished.

The restaurant they visited was around 100 yards from the bedroom.

Only when returning to the two-bedroom apartment at around 10.00pm did Madeleine's mum discover the youngster was missing.

Madeleine McCann went missing almost two decades ago (PA)

The latest update on the case came about earlier this week on Tuesday (3 June) with German police issuing a statement after a new search for Madeleine kicked off the same day.

The Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office in Germany said: "Criminal proceedings are currently under way in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case.

"These measures are being implemented through mutual legal assistance by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office."

Pictures that are circulating of the scene show a heavy police presence as they use equipment including strimmers, pick-axes, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris surrounding an abandoned building.

Now, as we know, the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance is Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.

Despite DNA evidence, he claims he did not commit the crime.

(Handout / Handout / Getty Images)

He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought.

However, the new search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police as they are looking for evidence that could implicate Brueckner.

According to the BBC, the areas that police are searching are close to a ramshackle dwelling where Brueckner lived at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

Brueckner refused to answer any questions relating to Maddie following discussions with his lawyers and told a journalist from German broadcaster RTL that if he does get out of jail, he will have to 'lie low' due to how well-known he has become.

The 48-year-old convicted sex offender appeared to show no guilt during the interview and also admitted that he would flee to a country without an extradition treaty with Germany and go into hiding.

"As I told you, what matters most to me is that I've been in prison for many years for something I couldn't have committed, and that, thanks to the media's involvement, half the world thinks I'm a cruel rapist," Brueckner told the outlet in letters ahead of the interview.

The new search kicked off on Tuesday (3 June) (PA)

According to the interviewer, RTL reporter Ulrich Oppold, Brueckner 'knew exactly what he wanted to say and, more importantly, what he didn't want to say.'

"He's still serving his sentence for the crime in the Algarve. If no new charges are brought, he'll be released. And then? He'll have to go into hiding, as he says in the interview," Oppold continued.

"He's well-known, after all. And before that? Most of all, he's looking forward to a decent steak and a beer. As if nothing had ever happened."

"I had the feeling that I was looking at a man who was not aware of any guilt," the interviewer added when speaking of Brueckner.

The Braunschweig public prosecutor's office maintains that Brueckner is the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case and is pushing for charges before he is released in September 2025.