Key witness in Madeleine McCann case 'doesn't have long to live', court hears

06 April 2024 , 09:36

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Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3, 2007, in Praia da Luz, Portugal (Image: PA)

Any future prospect of a Madeleine McCann case have suffered a potential blow as a key witness has been diagnosed with cancer.

Helge Busching, 53, "does not have long" to live following the bombshell. The man had initially reported Christian Brueckner, now the prime suspect in the case, to police after asking him about the British girl and allegedly being told: “She didn’t scream.”

Mr Busching this week gave evidence in a German court, where the Mirror reports Brueckner, 47, stands accused of unrelated sex offences. Speaking at Braunschweig Regional Court about Mr Busching, the defendant's former pal Michael Tatschl, 50, said: "He says he does not have long, according to his diagnosis."

But the prosecutors’ office said recorded testimonies could ultimately be read out during Madeleine's case if required. Mr Busching has previously revealed British detectives flew to meet him and spent three days interviewing him about Madeleine’s disappearance.

He also told the court earlier this week that it was the “biggest failure” of his life not to report Brueckner, a former mechanic, sooner. He found rape videos in Brueckner’s home in 2005 but did not reveal the horrors they showed.

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Christian Brueckner (left) is currently on trial in Germany for unrelated charges (The Daily Mirror)

Busching, who was pals with the paedophile in Praia da Luz in the early 2000s, branded him “really dangerous”. He said: “He must be brought to justice and he must be punished. We were not good friends back then and we will certainly never be good friends in the future.” Busching, wearing jeans and a blue polo t-shirt, refused to give his address in court. He gave evidence alongside his lawyer and repeatedly argued with the judge and Brueckner’s legal team.

Brueckner’s legal team had earlier failed in a bid to have one of the prosecutors thrown off the case. His lawyer Atilla Aykac slammed Hans Christian Wolters for labelling him the “prime suspect” in the Madeleine case.

Three-year-old Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007, in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Her parents had left her and her little brother and sister sleeping in their holiday apartment while they dined at a nearby tapas bar.

Bradley Jolly