A German court has lifted the residency requirement for Christian Brückner, a man under investigation in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann. Brückner, who was released in mid-September after serving a sentence for the 2019 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal, had been subject to strict conditions, including wearing an electronic ankle monitor and reporting regularly to probation services. The Hildesheim court initially mandated that he remain resident in Germany for five years. However, the higher state court in Celle overturned this stipulation on Monday, citing interference with EU citizens’ freedom of movement within the 27-nation bloc. The court emphasized that while temporary travel bans or restrictions to specific regions could still be imposed, such decisions would need to be made by the lower court in Hildesheim. German prosecutors had previously identified Brückner as a suspect in McCann’s disappearance in June 2020, alleging they believed the girl was dead. Despite extensive searches in Portugal, where Brückner spent many years, no charges have been filed in the case. His lawyer, Friedrich Fülscher, argued that sufficient evidence for charges has been lacking.