Madeleine McCann investigator slams German prosecutors after prime suspect Christian B’s rape charges dismissed

A MADELEINE McCann investigator has blasted German prosecutors after they dismissed a possible rape trial against prime suspect Christian B - saying the case has damaged Scotland Yard's probe into the missing girl.

It emerged yesterday that the convicted paedo may not face charges over a series of alleged rapes and sexual offences as the German court did not have jurisdiction over him.

Julian Peribañez, who was hired by the McCann family to find Madeleine after her disappearance in Portugal in 2007, criticised prosecutors claiming their handling of the case shows they have "no evidence".

He told The Sun: “The German prosecutors spent almost three years declaring Christian B as a prime suspect, but have not filed any criminal charges against him.

“That means they don't have any solid evidence against him.

“In my opinion, they have not handled this in a correct manner.

“You can't say he was the abductor and murderer of Madeleine McCann and declare him prime suspect without pressing charges against him, because this goes against the current investigation held by Scotland Yard as it could halt potential leads people may have (thinking the case is closed, due to the statements of the German prosecutors).

“I haven't seen anything like this. As always with the Madeleine McCann case, everyone seems to be taking advantage for their own personal benefit.”

A court in the city of Braunschweig rejected a possible rape trial on Thursday for Christian B. after it deemed itself not to have jurisdiction over the case.

The court lifted its arrest warrant after it established that the suspect's last registered place of residence in the city was in 2016 - sparking fears it would also impact the Maddie case.

Peribañez questioned the issue of jurisdiction, saying: "I don't understand why Germany doesn't have now jurisdiction when he is actually in prison for raping an elderly woman in 2005 which, if I'm not mistaken occurred in the Algarve, Portugal.

He added: “Let's hope this is not a strategy to dismiss themselves also from the Madeleine McCann case saying they don't have jurisdiction - hiding the real truth, which is they don't have any solid evidence.”

However German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has insisted that "nothing has changed" in the Maddie case, the investigation will continue "as planned" and the suspect will not be released.

He told The Sun yesterday: "Initially, nothing will change as a result of the decision, we will continue to investigate the Maddie case and the accused will remain in custody."

Wolters explained that the decision by the Braunschweig court will need to be reviewed.

He added: "With regard to the decision of the Regional Court of Braunschweig on jurisdiction in the pending proceedings, we will first carefully examine the reasons and then probably have the decision reviewed by the Higher Regional Court of Braunschweig.

"We continue to assume that we are responsible for a decision by the Higher Regional Court, so that the investigations into the Maddie case will continue as planned.

"In our view, there is currently no reason for speculation about the possible responsibility of the Magdeburg public prosecutor's office for the investigations into the Maddie case and a possible related abandonment of the proceedings."

Christian B, 45, is currently serving a seven-year sentence in Germany over the rape of a pensioner in Praia da Luz-the same area in Portugal where Maddie went missing.

Based on evidence that was uncovered during the Maddie investigation he was charged with three offences of aggravated rape and two offences of the sexual abuse of children allegedly committed in Portugal at the time she went missing.

 first reported that the Braunschweig court had dropped these charges, citing his lawyer Friedrich Fülscher.

Peribañez, who is no longer working for the McCanns, says he is still working on the case in a personal capacity and remains determined to help solve it. 

“I’m still working on the case in a personal manner - this has become something personal for me - investing my own time and economic resources, any time I get a relevant lead,” he said.

"I invite people to contact me on my page with any leads."

The Sun reached out to German prosecutors for comment on Peribañez's criticisms.