The German national drifer and sex offender was indentified as a ‘prime suspect’ in the case five years ago, but he has never been charged. As he is released from prison, David James Smith looks back at 17 years of false starts in finding out what happened to the youngster

Christian Brückner is due to be released from prison in Germany in relation to a separate offence.

Christian Brueckner , 49, is due to be freed from a German prison as early as Monday after serving a seven-year sentence for the rape and assault of an American pensioner in…