A key witness in the hunt for Madeleine McCann has spoken out publicly for the very first time, sharing his claims that prime suspect Christian Brueckner had “something to do” with her abduction.
Helge Busching, who was once a friend of Brueckner, alleged to German outlet Bild that he learned of the prime suspect’s true nature well before Madeleine went missing.
He alleged that he stole videotapes from his home that he claims showed Brueckner sexually assaulting an elderly woman and a teenage girl. When confronted about the contents, Busching alleges Brueckner told him to “shut up”.
He then made his claims about Madeleine.
Disappearance of Madeleine McCann: Ex-pal of Christian Brueckner speaks out
Busching said he crossed paths with Brueckner again in 2008 at a music festival in Spain. Brueckner is said to have asked him why he didn’t visit Portugal any more. Busching explained that since Madeleine disappeared there were “too many police checks”.
He also speculated “how the little one could have disappeared without a trace”. Busching then alleged in his new interview: “Christian had drunk two or three beers, and he said: ‘She didn’t scream.’ I thought, he knows that. He has something to do with it. But he also checked that I understood that and then left at night. At 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning he left a packed festival with his mobile home. I looked for him the next morning, but his neighbours said he had left.”
Busching claims he went to the police in Germany with the videotapes, but was told to “keep your hands off it” in case he “incriminated” himself. He added that he tried to contact Scotland Yard about Brueckner in 2008 but claims he didn’t get a call back.
Brueckner has his own take on the conversation with Busching.
In letters seen by the Daily Mail earlier this month, Brueckner detailed his falling out with informant Busching. He was the first person to report Brueckner to the police as a suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Brueckner claimed the men fell out after a drug deal went wrong. However, in the letters he shared worrying details of a conversation Busching has now claimed to have had with him.
Christian Brueckner hits back over Madeleine McCann claims
In the letters, Brueckner attacked the police investigation against him as groundless. He has made a concerted effort to clear his name by writing several letters about his treatment in prison. He is currently serving seven years for rape.
In the latest letter he targeted Busching. The two men had been pals in Portugal in the early 2000s but allegedly fell out the year Madeleine went missing and, according to Brueckner, never spoke again.
In his letter, Brueckner wrote: “The following sentences from the ‘witness’ Helge B in 2017 were responsible for all the public hunting and hatred against me by the German authorities.”
Quoting Busching, the letter continued: “I was at the hippy festival in 2008 in Spain. We then started talking about Portugal. It was then Christian made a comment about the missing girl. Christian asked me if I was still going to Portugal, I replied: ‘I’m no longer going to Portugal because there are too many problems there, Portugal has too many police for me on account of the missing child. It is indeed strange that she disappeared without a trace.’ Christian replied: ”Yes, she did not scream.'”
Switching back to his own voice, Brueckner said: “It’s not even worthy of comment,” before explaining they fell out over a drug deal.
‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’
The new letters csme just days after the Daily Mail shared a defiant note from the prime suspect in the Brit’s disappearance. Signing off, he wrote: “I’m writing this without self-pity and my self-confidence and self-control was never at a higher level.”
Brueckner then added: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Chin up! Better days are coming.”
Read more: Full cost of hunt for Madeleine McCann’s Operation Grange revealed
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