Christian Brueckner, the German man who is the only suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, could walk free in a matter of days.
A paperwork mix-up could reportedly see Brueckner walk out of jail.
Lawyers have now claimed the 43-year-old convicted paedophile should never have been tried for the rape of a woman in 2005.
Reports state his lawyers claim the charge was not added to the European arrest warrants used to extradite him from Portugal to Germany.
![Convicted sex offender lived near the Portuguese resort where Maddie McCann was snatched in 2007. Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/PAPXDHGD32EEGQ7WOY4IQJMGVE.jpg?auth=f00ca7790f4e26d429c1ae61e8bc0809058e3d618bb5a4de170e76284fc8f901&width=16&height=19&quality=70&smart=true)