Court rejects objections against judges in trial against Madeleine suspects
The suspect Christian B. has had to answer for alleged sexual offenses related to the Maddie case at the Braunschweig District Court since February. According to the indictment, he is accused of raping three women and sexually abusing two children in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The court lifted the detention order against B. at the beginning of July. There is no longer a pressing suspicion of a crime.
The prosecution filed objections against the judges of the chamber dealing with the case due to concerns of bias. There is "reason to assume" that the chamber had already formed a "conclusive conviction" regarding the fact and guilt issues before the conclusion of the evidence collection, explained the authority as justification. The chamber was unable to refute this with its own arguments.
The decision on the objection was made by the responsible chamber of the Landgericht. Despite the lifting of the detention order, B. did not go free. He is currently serving a multi-year prison sentence for a sexual offense under a valid conviction.
The Braunschweig Prosecutor's Office considers B. a suspect in the case of the three-year-old Maddie, who went missing from a vacation apartment in Portugal in 2007. They are investigating on suspicion of murder, but no indictment has been filed yet. Maddie disappeared while her parents were having dinner at a nearby restaurant. Despite extensive searches and years of efforts, the case was never solved, and Maddie remains missing.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in Braunschweig is currently dealing with several rejection applications related to the Maddie case.
- Despite the rejection of objections, there are still ongoing proceedings against Christian B. at the Braunschweig District Court for the Maddie case.
- The judge presiding over the Maddie case at the District Court in Braunschweig has not yet reached a final verdict due to ongoing investigations.
- The three women and two children, who are key witnesses in the Maddie case, have been summoned to testify at the Braunschweig District Court.
- The Maddie case has garnered significant public interest in Braunschweig, with many locals following the court proceedings closely.
- The Portuguese authorities have been actively collaborating with the Braunschweig District Court to gather evidence related to the Maddie case.
- Christian B., a suspect in the Maddie case, is currently under surveillance in Portugal, as part of the ongoing investigation by the Braunschweig District Court.
