Madeleine McCann’s parents describe the Christian Brueckner investigation as ‘beyond strange’

The parents of the missing girl Madeleine McCann have spoken for the first time about the investigation into German pedophile Christian Brueckner, and the family has expressed concern.

Friends of Gerry and Kate McCann have revealed that the family is puzzled by how German prosecutor Hans Wolters has spoken publicly about the evidence against Brueckner.

Wolters boasted of having strong evidence against the pedophile, saying the public would be as sure as he that Brueckner is their man “if they knew the evidence we have.”

But the McCanns are taken aback by his loud and cheeky comments and question why Brueckner hasn’t been questioned if they have the evidence they claim to have.

Speaking to the Mirror, a friend of the family said: “Any police officer or head of the prosecution should not brag … but must remain silent as in the case of the Metropolitan Police.”

“It is more than strange and not very useful for the investigation. If Mr. Wolters has any significant evidence, we cannot understand why the key suspect is not being questioned.

“If prosecutors intend for Brueckner to be a person of genuine concern to be questioned and possibly charged for Madeleine’s disappearance, why has this step not been taken?”

The family also said they shouldn’t encourage the public to jump to conclusions.

They say if prosecutors don’t think he was involved, they should say so rather than play games.

In June, Wolters said they didn’t have enough evidence to charge Bruecker, but they were “90 percent” of the way there.

While prosecutors have spoken out in their investigation, earlier this month they admitted they fear indicting Brueckner due to Germany’s strict dual criminality laws.

Wolters told the Mirror they have a chance to catch Brueckner, saying that if they are not followed, he will never again be charged with McCann-related crimes.

“If we press charges and he is acquitted, then the case is dead forever,” he told the Mirror.

“In Germany, once you have been acquitted, you cannot be charged again, at least only in very exceptional cases.

“If we rush now and they acquitted him because the court said ‘Ah, we still have some doubts,’ then we won’t be able to catch him later.”

Brueckner was in Praia Da Luz when McCann disappeared, with cell phone logs linking the pedophile to the area an hour after the boy’s disappearance.