Suspect in disappearance of Madeleine McCann could be freed from prison early after donor pays fine
BERLIN (AP) — An outstanding fine against the main suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal has been paid off, German prosecutors said Monday. It means he could be released from prison in a separate case in mid-September instead of January 2026.
Prosecutors in Braunschweig confirmed that an unpaid fine of about 1,450 euros ($1,663) against the suspect — a German national identified by media as Christian Brueckner — has been paid, German news agency dpa reported, without giving further details. The payment moves forward his potential release date to Sept. 17.
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SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account NEW YORK — The jury at Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' sex trafficking trial viewed more video recordings on Monday of the sex marathons that have played a prominent role in a prosecution that was likely to rest by Tuesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey sometimes referred to the mostly 1- or 2-minute clips filmed by the music mogul as 'explicit' videos, a signal for jurors to put on headsets that enabled them to hear and view the recordings without them being heard or seen by spectators in the Manhattan courtroom. Prosecutors have cited the drug-fueled multi-day events as evidence of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges, saying Combs relied on employees, associates and his business accounts to fly male sex workers to Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, where his staff set up hotel rooms for the encounters and cleaned up afterward. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Last week, prosecutors showed jurors about 2 minutes of the footage from 2012 and 2014 involving Combs' then-girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, a male sex worker and Combs. Cassie earlier testified that she participated in hundreds of the 'freak-off' events. She and Combs were in a relationship from 2007 until 2018. Cassie sued Combs in 2023 alleging years of abuse. 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