Maddie McCann prosecutor plans mock trial to test case against Christian B after saying he’s '100% certain’ he's guilty

PROSECUTORS are staging a mock trial to test evidence against Madeleine McCann's accused abductor Christian B in a bid to ensure the convicted paedophile is locked up for good.

The practice run will take place behind close doors with lawyers set to split into prosecution and defence teams.

The decision comes after German investigators met with Portuguese police last week, according to the Daily Record.

In October, German prosecutors said they were "100 per cent convinced" Christian B, 44, was the man response for McCann's disappearance in 2007.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told the Mirror: "It is now possible that we could charge. We have that evidence now.

“But it’s not just about charging him – we want to charge him with the best body of evidence possible.

“When we still have questions, it would be nonsense to charge rather than wait for the answers that could strengthen our position.

“That’s why we said we’ll investigate as long as there are leads or information for us to pursue."

An inside source said: "It will be a sort of trial run to see how strong their case is and see what more evidence might be needed to charge him.

"They are 100 per cent convinced but want to test arguments under cross-examination."

Madeleine, from Leicestershire, vanished aged three from parents Kate and Gerry’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Two years earlier, Christian B raped a 72-year-old American woman living nearby and is now in a German jail for the crime.

As he is in prison, detectives are using the time to gather much evidence as possible and hope to take him to court next year.

Part of the evidence being probed by cops includes an alleged "confession" made by Christian B to a friend, and analysis of the phone shows he was at the Ocean Club when the tot disappeared.

But investigators have no proof Madeleine is dead, with no DNA or photo evidence linking the sex offender to the alleged murder.

Wolters told the outlet: "It is circumstantial evidence – we have no scientific evidence.

"I personally think a conclusion will be reached next year. We have no body and no DNA but we have other evidence. Based on the evidence we have, it leads to no other conclusion."

Christian B is also being investigated in connection with a rape and indecent assaults that all took place in Praia da Luz when he lived there from 2002 to 2008.

He denies any involvement in Maddy's disappearance and claims police have not found a "shred of evidence".

Christian B was living on the outskirts of Praia da Luz when Maddy disappeared and became a suspect in 2017 but not named publicly as one until June 2020.

We pay for your stories!

Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?

Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too.

Click here to upload yours.

Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.

Source: Read Full Article