A state of emergency is in effect at the Braunschweig Regional Court in Lower Saxony, Germany. The House is preparing for a trial that will attract global media attention. Why? Because the defendant is also the main suspect in the Maddie McCann case. The then three-year-old English girl disappeared from an apartment complex in Portugal in May 2007 and there has been no trace of the child since.
The trial begins Friday and scores of reporters, including from England and Portugal, have announced their participation. There is a lot of demand for the 40 seats reserved for the media in room 141.
This isn’t even about the most famous missing person case, Maddie McCann. But the man who investigators believe is a strong suspect is brought forward. Christian B. has a relevant criminal record; the 47-year-old Würzburg resident is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Lower Saxony for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005.
The trial now beginning includes three more serious rapes and two cases of child sexual abuse – partly captured in video recordings that the suspect is said to have recorded himself.
“If the defendant were found guilty, the sentence would range from a minimum of five to 15 years in prison,” a spokesperson for the Braunschweig court told the “Krone”. Christian B. is presumed innocent, but the accusations made by the Public Prosecution Service in the more than 100-page indictment are terrible. And provide insight into the extremely high criminal energy of the alleged perpetrator. Considering the possible fate of little Maddie, the accused actions simply give you goosebumps.
Suspected of five crimes
All five crimes now charged took place in Portugal between December 28, 2000 and June 11, 2017:
- In the first case, the suspect allegedly surprised a 70 to 80-year-old woman in her holiday apartment before 2006. According to the public prosecutor, B. tied her up, raped her and then flogged her. A video is evidence of the crime.
- Even before 2006, Christian B. allegedly tied a young person to a wooden post in her home. He then whipped the victim and forced her to perform sexual acts. There is a video.
- In June 2004, the suspect allegedly gained access to a young woman’s apartment through the balcony at night. The victim was raped several times and also whipped with a knife and in front of the camera.
- On April 7, 2007 – a few weeks before Maddie’s disappearance – B. is said to have ambushed a child on the beach and forced him to perform sexual acts.
- In June 2017, the suspect allegedly masturbated in the presence of a child at a festival in the Algarve.
According to reports, Christian B.’s lawyers are seeking an acquittal of all charges. Thirty days of negotiations are currently planned for the long-awaited trial.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
