Brueckner charged with sexual offences in cases unrelated to Madeleine

[sadie]

I’m not.

Well you have taken the Left Hand Path haven't you?   Shame cos there is a good bit that is nice about you.


Most reasonable people will be thinking that it isn't OK to say that 'You can't care less' in such a situation.   Violent rape is not to be condoned.

[Eleanor]

The two Child Sex Abuse Charges are a done deal.  Witnesses and all.  The three Rape Cases appear to have obvious similarities.  But this is all for a Court to decide.  In Germany, as it happens.

I don't understand how Judges Only Trials work, excepting of course that no emotion will come into this, as is possible with a Jury.  So probably more fair for The Defendant.

[Brietta]

The two Child Sex Abuse Charges are a done deal.  Witnesses and all.  The three Rape Cases appear to have obvious similarities.  But this is all for a Court to decide.  In Germany, as it happens.

I don't understand how Judges Only Trials work, excepting of course that no emotion will come into this, as is possible with a Jury.  So probably more fair for The Defendant.

The first I heard of 'judge only' trials was during a period of emergency in Northern Ireland when conventional trials would probably have put members of juries at unacceptable risk.

Very strange for us to contemplate but it seems to be quite unremarkable in Germany.

The charges are interesting.  That Brueckner was arrested in flagrante at the children's playground, by an off duty police officer who was in attendance with her child at the fiesta, I don't think I would put the mortgage on him walking from that one.

I think the witnesses on the beach seem certain of his identity.  So that will probably be decided on comparison with descriptions made at the time of the offence.

I'm intrigued by two of the three rapes of which he is accused, bearing in mind that rape offenses are notoriously difficult to prove in court.

All will be revealed in the fulness of time.  Which I think will be more akin to the legal system we are more used to.  With us hearing the evidence only once it has been presented in court.

[Eleanor]

The first I heard of 'judge only' trials was during a period of emergency in Northern Ireland when conventional trials would probably have put members of juries at unacceptable risk.

Very strange for us to contemplate but it seems to be quite unremarkable in Germany.

The charges are interesting.  That Brueckner was arrested in flagrante at the children's playground, by an off duty police officer who was in attendance with her child at the fiesta, I don't think I would put the mortgage on him walking from that one.

I think the witnesses on the beach seem certain of his identity.  So that will probably be decided on comparison with descriptions made at the time of the offence.

I'm intrigued by two of the three rapes of which he is accused, bearing in mind that rape offenses are notoriously difficult to prove in court.

All will be revealed in the fulness of time.  Which I think will be more akin to the legal system we are more used to.  With us hearing the evidence only once it has been presented in court.

Brueckner's Lawyer must have the evidence by now.  But what we think of that is irrelevant.

[Brietta]

Brueckner's Lawyer must have the evidence by now.  But what we think of that is irrelevant.

I think that is the procedure in Germany.  Once charges have been made the prosecution must share everything with the defence.  No nasty surprises in a German court!  I think that during investigation, the prosecutors are obliged to look for exonerating evidence as well as evidence to prove guilt.

Seems like a civilised way of doing things

[Eleanor]

I think that is the procedure in Germany.  Once charges have been made the prosecution must share everything with the defence.  No nasty surprises in a German court!  I think that during investigation, the prosecutors are obliged to look for exonerating evidence as well as evidence to prove guilt.

Seems like a civilised way of doing things

Brueckner has said that he will refuse to answer Prosecutor's Questions.  Which appears to be his right.  And I can't think of a reason for why it shouldn't be.  But will his Lawyer be able to produce a Defence?

[G-Unit]

The first I heard of 'judge only' trials was during a period of emergency in Northern Ireland when conventional trials would probably have put members of juries at unacceptable risk.

Very strange for us to contemplate but it seems to be quite unremarkable in Germany.

The charges are interesting.  That Brueckner was arrested in flagrante at the children's playground, by an off duty police officer who was in attendance with her child at the fiesta, I don't think I would put the mortgage on him walking from that one.

I think the witnesses on the beach seem certain of his identity.  So that will probably be decided on comparison with descriptions made at the time of the offence.

I'm intrigued by two of the three rapes of which he is accused, bearing in mind that rape offenses are notoriously difficult to prove in court.

All will be revealed in the fulness of time.  Which I think will be more akin to the legal system we are more used to.  With us hearing the evidence only once it has been presented in court.

Criminal trials in Germany are conducted in front of three (or two depending on the complexity of the case) professional judges and always two lay judges (jurors); all judges hearing the case have the same vote and there is a 2/3 requirement for all decisions that are negative for a defendant, e.g. guilty vs. not guilty or a higher punishment vs. a lower punishment. That means that two votes of “not guilty” prevent a conviction.
https://judicature.duke.edu/articles/postcard-from-bonn-germany-qa-with-judge-marc-eumann/

[faithlilly]

The first I heard of 'judge only' trials was during a period of emergency in Northern Ireland when conventional trials would probably have put members of juries at unacceptable risk.

Very strange for us to contemplate but it seems to be quite unremarkable in Germany.

The charges are interesting.  That Brueckner was arrested in flagrante at the children's playground, by an off duty police officer who was in attendance with her child at the fiesta, I don't think I would put the mortgage on him walking from that one.

I think the witnesses on the beach seem certain of his identity.  So that will probably be decided on comparison with descriptions made at the time of the offence.

I'm intrigued by two of the three rapes of which he is accused, bearing in mind that rape offenses are notoriously difficult to prove in court.

All will be revealed in the fulness of time.  Which I think will be more akin to the legal system we are more used to.  With us hearing the evidence only once it has been presented in court.

The rape charges will be almost impossible to prove as firstly I believe that the victims haven’t even been identified and as to the alleged footage of the rapes we only have the word of two career criminals that it ever existed.

[Brietta]

Brueckner has said that he will refuse to answer Prosecutor's Questions.  Which appears to be his right.  And I can't think of a reason for why it shouldn't be.  But will his Lawyer be able to produce a Defence?

I'm presuming he will communicate with his defence team.  I presume they will do the best they can with that.  I'm still intrigued about who is lifting their bill for that ~ or are they provided by the court?

Interestingly I do not know if they require to share information with the prosecution. 

For example - was it MWT or Brueckner in a letter to a fan who claimed he had an alibi that cleared him?  Which according to the prosecution I think, is not so.

[Anthro]

The rape charges will be almost impossible to prove as firstly I believe that the victims haven’t even been identified and as to the alleged footage of the rapes we only have the word of two career criminals that it ever existed.

These ‘career criminals’ you are referring to, are the people who were closest to CB when MM disappeared. Fifteen years have passed. Also for these men. Surely, you can grasp the role of fluidity i.e. friendships, alliances, confidantes.

[faithlilly]

These ‘career criminals’ you are referring to, are the people who were closest to CB when MM disappeared. Fifteen years have passed. Also for these men. Surely, you can grasp the role of fluidity i.e. friendships, alliances, confidantes.

I can grasp the role being caught smuggling immigrants into the country played in loosening his tongue. Friendships do tend to change when one throws the other under a bus.

[Vertigo Swirl]

I can grasp the role being caught smuggling immigrants into the country played in loosening his tongue. Friendships do tend to change when one throws the other under a bus.

Just because he blabbed thinking there might be an incentive to do so doesn’t mean he lied.  In fact we know his information has already been instrumental in bringing one rape case to a successful conviction. 

[Brietta]

These ‘career criminals’ you are referring to, are the people who were closest to CB when MM disappeared. Fifteen years have passed. Also for these men. Surely, you can grasp the role of fluidity i.e. friendships, alliances, confidantes.

Given the heinous crimes Brueckner was suspected of perhaps these 'career criminals' were anxious not to be associated with fellow career criminal Brueckner and just got their oar in first.

There is also the chance that they were appalled by the materials they saw on the video recording.

I doubt if the prosecutors presented their evidence without being sure that it was sufficient to pass the scrutiny required to allow charges to be made.

[faithlilly]

Given the heinous crimes Brueckner was suspected of perhaps these 'career criminals' were anxious not to be associated with fellow career criminal Brueckner and just got their oar in first.

There is also the chance that they were appalled by the materials they saw on the video recording.

I doubt if the prosecutors presented their evidence without being sure that it was sufficient to pass the scrutiny required to allow charges to be made.

So appalled that he waited years to tell the police.

[Brietta]

Just because he blabbed thinking there might be an incentive to do so doesn’t mean he lied.  In fact we know his information has already been instrumental in bringing one rape case to a successful conviction.

I'm getting a bit mixed up with all the underworld associates we know of who have given police information about Brueckner's involvement in crimes against women and children.

I think by now there must be many more we haven't heard about who have provided intelligence or even evidence to the inquiry.  There are also the silent witnesses visible in Brueckner's porn collection, some of which has come into police hands.

But Helge Busching represents a real lost chance in solving Madeleine's case years before he contacted Operation Grange from Greece.

Snip
Greek media reported this summer that their police said he wanted to speak to British cops. Grange detectives flew to Athens to question Busching in 2017.

According to an internal Greek police report, Busching’s information was described as “given voluntarily and without monetary or other consideration”.

It added that it had been “cross-checked and is considered a reliable source”. It also revealed how Busching had tried to report his concerns to the Portuguese police but had been fobbed off.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12638463/witness-mccann-guilty-christian-b/

Busching and Brueckner were at a kite festival in Spain when Brueckner confessed his involvement.  This was in 2008 by which time Madeleine had been written off by the Portuguese police and Busching "fobbed off" by them when he tried to report what he knew.