Brückner is in jail for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal (Picture: Phil Harris)

The only suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will be released from prison in a matter of weeks.

Christian Brueckner will be released on September 17 after serving a sentence for an unrelated rape conviction,the lead prosecutor investigating Maddie’s case confirmed.

Hans Christian Wolters said the prime suspect had to leave prison,despite believing the 48-year-old is still dangerous.

Brueckner has denied being involved in Madeleine’s disappearance in Praia da Luz,Portugal,and has not been charged in relation to it.

Brueckner is suspected of killing Madeleine McCann while she was on holiday in the Algarve (Picture: PA)

He is known to have been in the Praia da Luz area between 2000 and 2017,and is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005.

Then aged three,Maddie vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings.

The little girl’s disappearance sent shock waves around the world and sparked a massive investigation that continues to this day.

Wolters,who has led the German efforts to solve Madeleine’s case,told the BBC there is ‘no one else’ they suspect other than Brueckner.

He added: ‘We have evidence which speaks against [Brueckner],which indicates that he is responsible for the disappearance and the death of Madeleine.

‘We haven’t found anything in the last five years that exonerates [him]. We found evidence that strengthens our case.

‘But in our view,it’s not strong enough to make a guilty verdict likely,and that’s why so far we couldn’t charge him or apply for an arrest warrant.’

Brückner is the ‘only suspect’ the German police has (Picture: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

The suspect told a journalist earlier this year that if he does get out of jail,he will leave Germany for a country with no extradition treaty and lie low as he is so well known.

He also said he most looking forward to eating steak with a beer when he walks free.

A new search for evidence was carried out in July this year at the request of German police as they raced against time to charge Brückner.

Investigators searched areas between Praia da Luz and a house near the holiday resort where he used to live,but nothing was found.