Christian Brueckner, a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, was known to burglarize vacation properties in the nude, revealed a former associate during his trial for sexual offenses.
Michael Tatschl, who once collaborated with Brueckner in criminal activities, described his unusual strategy of committing burglaries naked to avoid leaving behind any traces or snagging his clothing.
Tatschl recounted, “He would climb over walls. He once shared that during a break-in, he encountered three teenage girls asleep in the living room while he was without clothes. The ringing of a phone woke one girl, who screamed in shock.
“The scream alerted the girl’s father, who rushed to the scene, forcing Christian to flee and leap from a balcony. He often chose to burgle in the nude to avoid leaving any evidence.”
Brueckner, a 47-year-old convicted rapist and child molester, was dramatically identified by German authorities four years ago as the individual responsible for the alleged kidnapping and murder of Madeleine.
Madeleine disappeared from a ground-level vacation apartment in May 2007 while with her parents, Kate and Gerry, in Praia da Luz, located on Portugal’s Algarve coast. She was only three years old at the time.
Despite these allegations, Brueckner has yet to face charges related to Madeleine’s case and is currently undergoing trial in Germany for other sexual offenses committed in the same region from which she vanished.
Michael Tatschl, 50, testified at the Braunschweig court, where Brueckner was brought in early Friday under substantial police guard.
Previously, Tatschl had disclosed to German media that he and Brueckner, during their time in Portugal, discussed “selling children to a Moroccan pedophile ring.”
In an earlier interview, he expressed his conviction that Brueckner was responsible for Madeleine’s abduction, stating, “I know he did it. He’s definitely capable of abducting a small child.”
When questioned about his previous belief that Brueckner had kidnapped Madeleine to sell her to a pedophile network, Tatschl replied, “That was my suspicion, as he was desperate for money.”
He believed the kidnapping was linked to a pedophile network in nearby Morocco.
In court, Tatschl also mentioned overhearing discussions about disturbing videos that depicted Brueckner assaulting and raping an elderly woman and a young girl.
He recalled, “I learned about it from Helge Busching and Manfred Seyferth, though I can’t recall who mentioned it first.”
Further, Tatschl revealed finding sinister items like whips and masks at Brueckner’s residence in Portugal, along with a collection of 500 passports, which he kept as trophies.
In a startling court revelation, Tatschl recounted how Brueckner had bragged to him in prison about once abducting a teenage girl, approximately 14-15 years old, and restraining her to a post in his home before eventually releasing her.
Brueckner and Tatschl were imprisoned together in 2006 for fuel theft in Portugal and shared a cell. They were released just weeks before Madeleine’s disappearance.
During his testimony, Tatschl, clad in a white shirt, detailed his initial meeting with Brueckner in early 2006 and their subsequent friendship.
He described Brueckner’s criminal activities, stating, “He told me about his earnings from breaking into homes, tourist residences, and hotels at night when occupants were away, or even while they slept, regardless of the floor they were on. He kept a small box filled with stolen items like jewelry and watches.”
Earlier, Brueckner was led into the courtroom in handcuffs and exchanged warm handshakes with his legal team.
Portuguese police have consistently asserted that Madeleine’s abductor entered the apartment through a window and likely exited with the child either through a door or by climbing back out the window.
Kate and Gerry, hailing from Rothley, Leicestershire, have led a prominent campaign seeking information about their daughter’s disappearance.
Currently, Brueckner stands trial for allegations of raping three women and molesting children between 2000 and 2017 in the Algarve.
He was sentenced in 2019 to seven years in prison for raping an elderly woman in the Algarve in 2005.
The ongoing trial, which commenced in February, has featured testimonies from witnesses who claim to have seen Brueckner in distressing sex tapes involving the rape of an elderly woman and a young girl.
Brueckner’s defense has repeatedly attempted to disqualify witnesses, arguing that the case is biased and prejudiced against their client due to his association with the Madeleine case, but all such attempts have been unsuccessful.
The trial is anticipated to extend through the spring and into the summer.