46 witnesses summoned for Madeleine suspect’s trial

SIX ex-lovers are to give evidence against Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner, who is facing a rape trial.

The German sex offender is accused of a trio of rapes, which he allegedly filmed, and two further child sex offences. A total of 46 witnesses – including half a dozen former girlfriends – have been summoned for the trial at Braunschweig Criminal Court between February 16 and June 27, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

According to the schedule, which is spread over 29 days, three women will take to the stand including his first lover, Silke Becker, on April 10.

Brueckner fled Germany to live in Portugal with Ms Becker in the mid nineties, and in doing so failed to complete a prison sentence for child sex crimes.

Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said: ‘While the focus right now is on the trial in February, I am still heavily involved in the Madeleine case.

‘There is no major new evidence to report, but things are moving forwards.’