Madeleine McCann Update: Prime Suspect's Latest Legal Move Could 'Severely Impact The Case'

Madeleine McCann's 2007 disappearance has remained a mystery since she was last seen inside her parents' hotel room in Praia da Luz, Portugal, but some believed that the recent identification of Christian Brückner as the prime suspect could provide new details about the case. However, it now appears as though "Christian B" could be released from prison prior to revealing any new clues that could help McCann's parents, Kate and Gerry, find out what happened to the three-year-old.

According to The Sun, Brückner could be granted parole as soon as next week. Currently, he is behind bars on unrelated drug trafficking charges, but he could be allowed to leave prison in the near future as he has served two-thirds of his sentence. As a result of the new development, German prosecutors are reportedly fighting to keep him behind bars after his lawyer's recent request.

READ: Madeleine McCann Update: Previous Theory About Suspect Resurfaces Following Christian Brückner's Identification

If the prime suspect is freed, some are concerned that he could leave the country, which could block the courts from pursuing him in relation to the McCann case. This, said a source close to the ongoing investigation, would "severely impact the case."

"He could vanish and then we will not be able to put him on trial. We are fighting for him to be kept in court," they stated.

After Brückner's legal team requested their client's parole, the case was sent to another court in Braunschweig, where he previously lived. However, it was then passed on once again to Germany's Federal Court in Karlsruhe. They are expected to issue their official decision sometime next week.

Additionally, his legal team has also claimed that there was a breach of European Arrest Warrant regulations due to the fact that he was extradited from Italy to Germany. At that time, he had been flown back in 2018 on a warrant that had been issued regarding the 2011 drug offense. Subsequently, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly raping an American woman in Praia de Luz, but German law states that his sentence will not officially be imposed at this time since there is an open appeal regarding that conviction.

READ: Madeleine McCann Update: Evidence Tying Christian Brückner To Crime Could've Been Destroyed, Says Report

The news that "Christian B" could potentially be released comes after a variety of other reports that have signified what has been going on with the investigation behind the scenes. Not only has it been said that "significant" evidence could be provided by unexpected people, but others have indicated that "concrete knowledge" could help the case move forward.

As for Brückner himself, the prime suspect's past has additionally been discussed after his public link to McCann's "unsolvable" case, including a former friend who stated that he had once been "obsessed with the dark web" and reports that he previously "freaked out" when McCann's name was mentioned. However, at this time, it has been said that he has refused to cooperate throughout the investigation and has stated his innocence.