A woman has come forward to testify in a German court that she was raped by Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Hazel Behan waived her right to anonymity and recounted her traumatic experience in court, revealing that she would never forget her attacker’s bright blue eyes. The court is currently hearing five sex offence charges against Brückner, which are not related to Madeleine’s disappearance. Brückner’s legal team is denying all accusations against him and maintains that he is not the man who raped Behan in 2004 when she was working in Praia de Rocha.
Ms Behan was woken up by a masked intruder, who was dressed in black and was calling out her name. She spent hours testifying about how the defendant repeatedly raped her in an ordeal that was captured on film. Behan asserted that she recognized Brückner’s eyes in police images following media appeals surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance, stating that when she was in that situation, his eyes were the only thing she could see. Towards the end of the day’s session, the judge asked the defendant to approach the bench to examine his eyes.
Brückner is a convicted sex offender and has been identified by German investigators as a key suspect in Madeleine’s murder. However, he has denied any involvement in the case and has never been charged. Prosecutors, on the other hand, believe they have substantial evidence against him. The rape allegations in court took place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017 and are wholly unrelated to Madeleine’s disappearance.
Behan spoke out about her experience in 2015 to help raise awareness about sexual violence against women and to encourage others to speak out about their experiences. Although the trial continues, Ms Behan has significantly contributed to shedding more light on Christian Brückner’s alleged criminal history
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