IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2023--

The prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has claimed he became the focus of the investigation after a former friend alleged he made a chilling comment about the case, according to reports. German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery in the summer of 2020, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007. Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner. Brueckner is in prison in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is suspected of further rapes and child sexual abuse committed in the area between 2000 and 2017. During his time in prison, he is said to have written several letters in a bid to clear his name and complain about his treatment in prison. According to a letter seen by the Daily Mail, Brueckner claimed he became a key suspect after his former friend told police he said “yes, she did not scream” when talking about the case around one year after Madeleine disappeared. According to the newspaper, Brueckner said the claim is "not even worthy of comment.” He said he was then hunted by police after his friend made the allegation to police. The Daily Mail said Brueckner refers to a statement made to the police by Helge Busching - who reportedly contacted police in 2017 saying he had information on the case. He wrote: “The following sentences from the ‘witness’ Helge B in 2017 were responsible for all the public hunting and hatred against me by the German authorities.” Then Brueckner relates an alleged conversation at a festival in Spain in 2008, one year after Madeleine disappeared. He quotes Busching as having said: “(Seyferth another witness) was also there as well and Michael (Tatschl another witness), Manfred, Christian and I then started talking about Portugal. "It was then Christian made a comment about the missing girl. Christian asked me if I was still going to Portugal, I replied; ‘I’m no longer going to Portugal because there are too many problems there, Portugal has too many police for me on account of the missing child. "It is indeed strange that she disappeared without a trace. Christian replied:’’Yes, she did not scream.’’ Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fulschertold the newspaper: “It remains to be seen whether this conversation took place at all as we have other witnesses who said it didn’t.” Brueckner claims that the last time he had a conversation with Busching was in 2007 about a drug deal between them. Busching was arrested in 2017 while trying to smuggle migrants from Greece to Italy. It is claimed that he gave the statement to the police after his arrest. Read More What happened to Madeleine McCann? Sixteen years and countless heartbreaks as Madeleine McCann’s family wait for answers Madeleine McCann evidence will be hard to find after 16 years, expert warns Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance Sixteen years and countless heartbreaks: Where are Madeleine McCann’s family now? Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

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Scientists have found that a 16-week regimen of running has similar effect for mental health as antidepressants taken over the same period, an advance that may lead to better treatment guidelines for patients. Running, however, showed more benefits compared to antidepressants, whose effects on physical health slightly worsened over time, say researchers, including those from Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam. Despite this, the yet-to-be peer-reviewed study presented at the 36th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress, found that adherence to running was lower than to medication. The first-of-its-kind study compared the effects of antidepressants with running exercises for anxiety, depression, and overall health in over 140 patients. The research found that while both have the same benefits for mental health, a 16-week course of running over the same period scored higher in terms of physical health improvement, whereas antidepressants lead to a slightly worse physical condition. Scientists, including Brenda Penninx from VU, also found that the drop-out rate was much higher in the group that initially chose exercise. In the study, patients were offered a choice of treatment of either SSRI antidepressants for 16 weeks, or group-based running therapy for 16 weeks. Forty-five of the participants chose antidepressants – SSRI Escitalopram for 16 weeks – while 96 participated in running that included aiming for two to three closely supervised 45-minute group sessions per week for the same period. Researchers say members of the group which chose antidepressants were slightly more depressed than the members of the group that chose to take running. “This study gave anxious and depressed people a real-life choice, medication or exercise. Interestingly, the majority opted for exercise, which led to the numbers in the running group being larger than in the medication group,” Dr Penninx said. Antidepressant treatment required patients to adhere to their prescribed medication, and was not found to directly impact daily behaviors. However, exercise was found to also address sedentary lifestyles often found in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders by encouraging them to go outside, set personal goals, improve their fitness, and participate in a group activity. But researchers also found that adherence to protocol was lower in the running group than in the antidepressant group, despite the initial preference for running over antidepressants. While at the end of the trial, about half the number of participants in both groups showed improvement in depression and anxiety, the running group also had improvements in physical health markers like blood pressure, heart function, and weight. The antidepressant group, on the other hand, showed slight deterioration in these metabolic markers, the study noted. “Antidepressants generally had a worse impact on body weight, heart rate variability, and blood pressure, whereas running therapy led to improved effects on general fitness and heart rate for instance,” Dr Penninx said. While antidepressants have been found to be safe and effective, working for most people, scientists call for extending the treatment arsenal by implementing exercise therapy. “Telling patients to go run is not enough. Changing physical activity behavior will require adequate supervision and encouragement as we did by implementing exercise therapy in a mental health care institution,” Dr Pennix added. Read More Postnatal depression drug ‘shows benefits five years on’ John Fetterman wants people to stop fussing about his use of captioning technology Mental health ‘top reason for children contacting Childline’ Largest study of centenarian blood reveals secrets to longevity Scientists map where 27 different types of love are felt in the body Biggest ever solar storm identified using ancient tree rings