NewsWorld newsChristian BruecknerChristian Brueckner, 50, is due back in court for 'aggravated rape among other offences' after being released from prison in 2025 - he remains a lead suspect in the disapperance of Madeleine McCann19:42, 25 Aug 2026Christian Brueckner, the lead suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is due to return to court for the retrial of a rape case which he was cleared of two years ago.Brueckner has been ordered to appear before appeal Judge Loisa Bartel in a Leipzig, Germany, next year for the retrial. The judge will hear that the 50-year-old should not have been cleared over the rape of an Irish woman in 2024.He walked free last year following the verdict. A letter issued by the court said "criminal proceedings for aggravated rape among other offences" were due to go ahead on Monday, January 11, 2027."For those who want to see Brueckner charged over Madeleine, this new court date is a gamechanger," a source told The Sun. Investigators who allege Brueckner is involved with Madeleine's disappearance could see the German back behind bars after he was released in 2025 after serving his seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Portugal."The way the German system works means every part of the original trial will be considered, and the judge overseeing it is incredibly sharp," the source added. "She will miss nothing. Maddie investigators realise for the first time, there is a genuine will to see a retrial and for something to be done about Brueckner."Grerman prosecutors reportedly believe a rape conviction could lead officials to prosecute Brueckner over Madeleine's disappearance. Little Madeleine vanished from a holiday flat in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, on May 3, 2007.Article continues belowShe disappeared from her bed while her parents Kate and Gerry were with friends at a nearby restaurant in the resort area. Brueckner has not been charged over Madeleine's disappearance, though he remains a prime suspect with German and British investigators.He has previously denied being involved in her disappearance.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Madeleine MccannChristian BruecknerCourtsCrime