Christian B: Former cellmate said Madeleine McCann suspect 'bragged about kidnapping in Portugal', German court hears | World News

The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case boasted about kidnapping a young girl in Portugal, a German court learned.

Christian B. – whose last name cannot be published due to German data protection law – is suspected by German investigators of having murdered the then three-year-old Madeleine McCann from her parents' holiday home in Portugal in 2007.

Christian B is currently in court for a series of unrelated sexual offences he committed in Portugal, including three rapes and two cases of exposure and masturbation in front of children.

Laurentiu Codin, a 50-year-old Romanian who shared a prison cell with Christian B. in 2020, told a story before the Braunschweig Regional Court on Tuesday that recalled the night Madeleine disappeared.

“He told me he stole in Portugal… he was in an area with hotels where there are people – I don't know how to say it – rich people, where rich people live,” he said.

“And when he was in the area of ​​the hotels where the rich people live, there was an open window somewhere, he told me that, and that was the reason why he asked me if maybe fingerprints would have been left if he went out the window.

“He said he went to the apartment for the money and didn't find any money, but a child, which he took with him. Two hours later, the apartment he was in was surrounded by police and dogs.

“And then he drove away, out of the area, I'm just saying what he told me… and he took the child in his car to Portugal, and when the police and the dogs were at the house, he drove away and was gone. He asked me if a child's DNA could be found as evidence, and I answered yes.”

In court, Codin also testified that Christian B. had told him how he had had sex with young girls near Hanover using a delivery van.

The Romanian citizen said: “There was talk of a girl… He said he had a bus and he took her and the children. He kept some of them, not others, but he never said he killed them.”

“He had sex with her… but he didn't kill her… He had her and did business with her.”

The judge then asked how old the girl was, to which she replied: “I don't want to say anything wrong, but she was very small.”

“And I told him it wasn't okay – what he had done. By young, I mean young, nine, ten, 13, I don't know.”

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Codin made several other allegations, including that Christian B. had sex with an older woman, whom he beat and strangled because it was his sexual preference.

He also said that Christian B. asked him whether a strand of hair was evidence that could be traced back to him. He also said that he would have to burn down a “big house” to do so.

Outside court, lawyer Philipp Marquart refuted the statements and said: “All of these allegations are completely new. All of them. He has never said anything like this before and they all contradict each other.”

In court, Codin also claimed that Christian B. asked him how much it would cost to get a fake passport so he could re-enter Portugal. He said: “I remember him asking that he needed a passport and also a driving license.”

Presiding Judge Ute Insa Engemann then asked: “And if I put this to you, in 2020 your testimony mentioned prices, a fake costs 1,500 euros and an original costs 2,500 euros and he said he needs that for Portugal, to go to Portugal.”

“Yes, yes, I remember. Yes, he said that,” Codin replied.

It had previously been reported that Codin had heard Christian B. boast to him about having committed rapes in Portugal and getting away with it.

But in court, Codin refused to comment on the report and repeatedly said he did not want to “incriminate” the defendant.

When asked, he said: “We had a few drinks and went for a walk, but that was it,” but refused to give further details.

Twice he tried to explain that he was not prepared to answer any questions. The judge reminded him that he was required to do so by law.

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In the courtroom of the Braunschweig Regional Court, Christian B. also saw a video clip being shown on two large screens, showing scenes from the apartment in Portugal from which Madeleine disappeared in 2007.

The footage includes interviews with Kate and Gerry McCann in which they describe their horror when they discovered that Madeleine was no longer in their bed on the night of May 3, 2007.

In addition, an excerpt from Aktenzeichen XY, the German equivalent of the British television show Crimewatch, was shown, in which the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) launched a public appeal for information about Christian B. and showed photos of his house and the cars he drove.

The videos and photos were shown at the request of Christian B.'s lawyer, Dr. Friedrich Fulscher, who argued that it was important to understand that witnesses may have been incited by such media reports to falsely interpret the defendant's behavior as a sexual offense.

The video was played immediately after the court read the statement of the Portuguese girl who claimed that Christian B was in a playground, pulled down his pants and masturbated while calling out to her.

However, the public prosecutor's office objected to the showing of the video in court, saying it could not see its relevance.

Codin's testimony against Christian B comes at a time when there are indications that the defendant could be acquitted.

Presiding judge Uta Inse Engemann, whose dismissal the public prosecutor had already attempted to obtain due to alleged bias in favor of the defense, has already stated that there is no longer “sufficient suspicion for all charges.”