German prosecutors requested a sexual offence conviction and 15-year prison sentence for a man who is also under separate investigation in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, AP News reported.
The 47-year-old German national, identified as Christian Brueckner, faces trial at the Braunschweig state court in northern Germany. According to the prosecution, the man committed the offence in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
Closing arguments in the trial, which started in February, began on Wednesday. Prosecutor Ute Lindemann argued that Brueckner should be found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault. He should be placed in preventive detention after serving a 15-year sentence. However, he should be acquitted of the third count of rape, Lindemann added.
The defence is expected to make a statement on Monday, with a verdict likely to follow on Tuesday. He spent many years in Portugal, including at the resort of Praia da Luz around the time Madeleine disappeared there in 2007. Brueckner, however, denied any involvement in her missing.
He is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape committed in Portugal in 2005. Brueckner’s lawyer stated in February that his client would not respond to the charges but expected to be acquitted.
In July, the court cancelled the arrest warrant for the cases in the current trial, citing a lack of “urgent suspicion” against the accused. However, he remains behind bars over the sentence he is currently serving.
