The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been charged with several sex offences, German prosecutors said.
Convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner is accused of committing five offences between 2000 and 2017 in Portugal, the public prosecutor’s office in Braunschweig said, with the charges not related to the McCann case.
In a statement, they said that the accused was the same person under investigation in connection with the disappearance of the then 3-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007.
"Specifically, the accused is charged with three offences of aggravated rape and two offences of sexual abuse of children,"
the prosecutor's office added.
"The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues," the office added.
Investigators believe the 45-year-old killed Madeleine, then three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007.
Brueckner, who has reportedly denied any involvement in the case, was identified as a suspect in the McCann case by Portuguese officials in June 2020.
More to follow.
We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
For the latest news and breaking news visit dailyrecord.co.uk
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter @Daily_Record - the official Daily Record Twitter account - real news in real time.
We're also on Facebook - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .