By Dan Grennan

Copyright dailystar

The prime suspect in the disappearance of Maddie McCann “is still a danger to the public”, the family of his victim have said. Christian Brueckner was released from prison in Germany this morning after serving six years of a seven-year sentence for the rape of an elderly woman. Prosecutors had hoped to charge the 48-year-old in connection with Maddie’s disappearance before his sentence concluded. However, they were unable to do so in time, and were helpless to prevent him from walking free. The German national served six years of his seven-year sentence for the rape of 72-year-old American woman Diana Menkes in the same area of Portugal which Maddie vanished from. Her family have today spoken out against his release after she died three years ago. Her nephew, Michael Foulger, told the Daily Mail : “It feels to us that he is still a danger to the public and should be closely monitored especially if he is connected to the Madeleine McCann case.” Brueckner was released from Sehnde prison near Hannover at 9.15am this morning. It is believed that he has been fitted with an ankle tag allowing police to track his movements round-the-clock. Sources indicated that his passport was also confiscated amid concerns he could vanish, reports the Mirror . Hidden under a blanket in the back of his lawyer’s car, Brueckner evaded the media who had gathered outside Sehnde prison from 5am, anticipating his release. In photos, he appeared to be wearing a red and navy striped shirt, cap and sunglasses. Police officers from Brueckner’s hometown of Braunschweig, 40 miles away, were brought in to oversee his release. Escorted by police, he drove his black Audi through the secure prison gates, with vans stationed outside the jail from 6am. Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher arrived at the prison at 9am. His legal representative previously stated that Brueckner plans to disappear overseas to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the EU or UK. Investigators requested a court to subject him to ‘führungsaufsicht’, a form of judicial supervision. This is reserved for inmates who have served sentences for severe crimes but are still considered high risk. Brueckner is prohibited from approaching schools, nurseries or other areas frequently visited by children. He will also be required to regularly ‘check in’ at a local police station and seek approval for any changes to his home address. German authorities had hoped that outstanding fines for an offence committed in prison would keep him incarcerated until January. However, they were disappointed in June when a former police officer unexpectedly paid the £1,300 fines. German prosecutors identified Brueckner as their main suspect in the Madeleine case in June 2020, but he has not yet been charged. Despite an extensive police investigation, detectives seem no closer to charging him in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance. He was acquitted last October of a series of sex crimes he was alleged to have committed in Portugal. Prosecutors are now waiting for the result of an appeal against those verdicts lodged in Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. Brueckner denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance in May 2007. German search teams spent three days searching for evidence in Portugal last month. At the time of Madeleine’s disappearance, Brueckner was residing in a dilapidated farmhouse on the outskirts of Praia da Luz. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .