The 47-year-old German "cannot be convicted of the actions he is accused of", announces Judge Uta Engemann, who acquits him of five cases of rape and sexual abuse against children.
The man regularly worked in Algarve when the girl disappeared and was in the vicinity of the holiday resort on the night she disappeared, according to mobile data. He was formally accused in 2022 of being behind Madeleine McCann's disappearance.
He has previously been convicted of sexual offenses against children on more than one occasion.
British Madeleine McCann disappeared during a family vacation at a tourist resort in Algarve, Portugal. She has still not been found, despite extensive search efforts and significant media attention from around the world.
