Even in Maddie's case suspicious - Christian B. trial: Prosecutors fail again
In the process against Christian B., who is also suspected in the Maddie case, the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office failed with another motion to disqualify a judge. The rejection application was dismissed by the Braunschweig Regional Court. Thus, two such applications from the prosecution have been withdrawn, and the trial against the 47-year-old German is scheduled to continue on August 5.
At the beginning of the week, the Representative Chamber in Braunschweig had already rejected a motion to disqualify all three judges and judges as unfounded. The new application against a single judge was now deemed inadmissible, but from the Chamber's perspective, it would also have been considered unfounded. The issue concerned statements made by the judge before the trial began.
The repeatedly convicted sexual offender is currently on trial for five serious sexual offenses. The charges include three rapes and two cases of sexual abuse of children, which he is alleged to have committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Christian B. is also under suspicion of murder in the Maddie case but is not the subject of the current proceedings. The presumption of innocence applies until a legally binding conviction.
After the evidence collection in more than 20 court sessions, the defense of Christian B. requested the revocation of the arrest warrant, as they no longer saw any substantial suspicion regarding all the accusations. The court granted this request at the beginning of the month, as it no longer sees any pressing suspicion regarding all the accusations. However, the 47-year-old remains in prison because he is currently serving a sentence for the rape of an American woman.
The Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office emphasizes that the investigations in the Maddie case are independent of the course of the current trial. In June 2020, the prosecutors unexpectedly announced that the native of Würzburg is a suspect in the famous missing persons case. However, there is no indictment yet.
- The United Kingdom's Prosecutor's Office has expressed interest in the process against Christian B., given his involvement in the Maddie case.
- Despite Christian B.'s criminality in Germany, including a conviction for rape in Lower Saxony, the Portuguese Children's Bureau is yet to initiate proceedings against him for alleged crimes involving children in Portugal.
- The Braunschweig Regional Court's decision to dismiss the Prosecutor's Office's motion to disqualify a judge in the Christian B. case has echoed in Portugal, raising questions about the fairness of the proceedings.
- If found guilty in the ongoing trial, Christian B. may face additional charges in Portugal, as the Portuguese authorities are closely monitoring the court proceedings in Braunschweig.
- In light of the ongoing trial, the Maddie case has gained renewed attention in the Portuguese media, with many calling for justice for the missing British child.
- The Portuguese Prosecutor's Office has stated that it will closely follow the proceedings at the Braunschweig Regional Court and will take necessary actions based on the outcome of the trial against Christian B. in Germany.
