Madeleine McCann suspect will not respond to charges in unrelated German trial

Christian B at the start of his trial at Braunschweig district court in Brunswick, Germany, on February 16 2024 (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa via AP)

A man who is also under investigation over the disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann will not respond to unrelated charges of sexual offences at a trial that opened last week in Germany, his lawyer said.

The 47-year-old German, who has been identified by media as Christian Brueckner, faces three counts of rape and two of sexual abuse of children in the trial at the Braunschweig state court in northern Germany.