Exclusive:
Christian Brueckner defiantly continues to live in a tent despite vocal protests by locals, who are preparing to carry out a new demo near his woodland bolthole on Monday
Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner has turned down council accommodation and will instead continue lurking on the streets, to the horror of his neighbours.
The convicted paedophile and rapist has been living in a tent in a forest in northern Germany since being freed from jail in September. It was hoped a permanent address for the fiend could boost community safety.
A local official last night told us: “He has been offered accommodation, but he does not use it. [It] was intended for sole use.” It is understood the property offered was a converted shipping container, a popular option to combat homelessness across the country.
Brueckner defiantly continues to live off-grid despite vocal protests by locals, who are preparing to carry out a new demo near his woodland bolthole on Monday. It comes after protesters gathered there last week to protest against his presence.
A meeting was also held between residents and officials from the Social Affairs Department on Tuesday. A local, who asked not to be named, said: “Their issue is that they are worried and afraid. Something has to change. The fears are very great.
“I don’t think the city knows what to do with him. They are looking for a solution, but everyone has to participate. I don’t see a solution on the horizon.”
Brueckner, 49, is German prosecutors’ main suspect in the disappearance of then three-year-old Madeleine McCann in May 2007. She vanished from an apartment during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with her parents Kate and Gerry and her twin siblings.
But the fiend, who was later jailed for seven years for raping a US pensioner in the same Algarve resort in 2005, denies any involvement and has not been charged over the case. Brueckner, who has to wear a tag so authorities can monitor his movements 24/7 for five years, vowed to leave Germany in November after a court ruled his security restrictions unlawful.
It is understood the device will no longer work if he moves abroad, but he has said he needs to deal with “a few more legal procedural issues” before moving on. His lawyer previously said his client could head to a nation with no extradition to Germany or the UK, including Suriname in South America.
Brueckner, who is on benefits, had hoped to fund his escape from his homeland by crowdfunding through a website seeking donations from supporters. However, that plan was thwarted after an account he set up was closed down when the site’s bosses discovered its link to him.
The former odd job man has complained about police following him around wherever he goes. But he has bizarrely appeared to attempt to take credit for the increase in police in the area, claiming his presence is making the area safer through demands for better policing.
A police spokesperson said: “The police take the concerns and information provided by the public – including expressed concerns regarding personal safety – very seriously. Our task as the police is to identify potential dangerous situations quickly and, if necessary, avert them as swiftly as possible.
“We are trained and equipped for this purpose and possess extensive experience. The situation on the ground is being closely monitored.”
