Latest news with #Behan
Dublin Live
19 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Irish woman ‘in fear' ahead of release of Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Irishwoman who alleged she was raped at knifepoint by the main suspect in the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann says she fears he will seek her out following his release from prison. Christian Brueckner, 48, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan, 41, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she fears the German man will "hunt her down". Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. She told The Sun: "His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. "Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. "I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. "I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. "If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. "A leopard doesn't change his spots." Later this year Ms Behan expects to discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. (Image: Phil Harris) Ms Behan has accused the Portuguese authorities of alleged "inaction" in identifying and prosecuting Brueckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Portuguese authorities over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine who went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007 when she was three years old. (Image: PA) "As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through and continue to go through every day for the past 18 years," she said. German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest efforts to find out what happened to the missing child. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish woman 'in fear' ahead of release of main suspect in Madeleine McCann probe
An Irishwoman who alleged she was raped at knifepoint by the main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann fears he will seek her out after his release from prison. Christian Brueckner, 48, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after serving his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan, 41, who has waived her right to anonymity, said: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. 'Fear I'll see him. Fear he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. A leopard doesn't change his spots.' Brueckner was acquitted by a German court over the violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal. Later this year she will discover the outcome of her German High Court appeal against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. Ms Behan accused the Portuguese authorities of 'inaction' in identifying and prosecuting Bruckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights against over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for Madeleine's family. Maddie was just three years old went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007. Ms Behan said: 'I cannot begin to imagine what they continue to go through every day.' German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest fruitless efforts to find out what happened to the missing child. Ms Behan also spoke about Brueckner's impending release in an exclusive interview with this newspaper earlier this year. She said 'He knows who I am. Well, he always knew who I was, I just didn't know who he was. 'But I suppose now, at this stage, he knows me a lot better as this person that I am now. But I can't live in that fear, if you know what I mean? 'I have to remind myself all the time that, you know, I am not that kind of person. 'I don't live that kind of lifestyle at all like, in fact, quite the opposite, thankfully. 'But I can't allow for him to take any more from me than he already has and I'm not going to give him that. 'Like, is there a fear in the back of my mind? 100 per cent. But my fear isn't just, as I said, about me. It's bigger than that. I mean, if he wants to come at me again, he better put his boxing gloves on because I'm ready for him this time. I'm not 20 anymore. I'm not a baby and I will kick ten shades of sh*te out of him if he came near me again. But, on a real human level and not to be funny or anything, but yeah he terrifies me.' The court ultimately acquitted Brueckner in October of raping Ms Behan - ruling that there was insufficient evidence to find the convicted rapist and child abuser guilty. Ms Behan also spoke in detail about the trauma she suffered as a result of the horrific crime in 2004 - and how it continues to affect her to this day. 'You're very much stuck there. Not by choice. It's like something is just imprinted on you. The sad thing about it is I didn't choose that. This is something that, not to sound dramatic, but it murders the person that you were. You're gone,' she said. Speaking about living with that trauma, Ms Behan said she is still constantly battling with the horror she suffered 20 years on. 'Nothing is ever going to take away the fact that that happened. So for me, I think the hardest part of that was the control I felt he still had in my life, and still does have and I hate admitting that,' she told us. 'I have developed, you know, different quirks in my life, like I won't travel on holidays without, like, a portable door lock because of him. My family has suffered because of him. My friends have suffered. Like this is all because of him.'
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Powys County Times
Irish woman ‘in fear' ahead of release of Christian Brueckner
An Irishwoman who alleged she was raped at knifepoint by the main suspect in the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann says she fears he will seek her out following his release from prison. Christian Brueckner, 48, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan, 41, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she fears the German man will 'hunt her down'. Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. She told The Sun: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. 'Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. 'If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. 'A leopard doesn't change his spots.' Later this year Ms Behan expects to discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. Ms Behan has accused the Portuguese authorities of alleged 'inaction' in identifying and prosecuting Brueckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Portuguese authorities over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine who went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007 when she was three years old. 'As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through and continue to go through every day for the past 18 years,' she said.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Irish woman ‘in fear' ahead of release of Christian Brueckner
Christian Brueckner, 48, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan, 41, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she fears the German man will 'hunt her down'. Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. She told The Sun: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. 'Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. 'If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. 'A leopard doesn't change his spots.' Later this year Ms Behan expects to discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. Ms Behan has accused the Portuguese authorities of alleged 'inaction' in identifying and prosecuting Brueckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Portuguese authorities over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine who went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007 when she was three years old. 'As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through and continue to go through every day for the past 18 years,' she said. German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest efforts to find out what happened to the missing child.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Irish woman who accused Madeleine McCann suspect of rape fears he will hunt her down if freed
Christian Brueckner (48), is due to be freed from a German jail in September Christian Brueckner was tried in Germany for Ms Behan's rape and was found not guilty on the basis of insufficient evidence (Getty) An Irish woman who alleged she was raped at knifepoint by the main suspect in the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann says she fears he will seek her out following his release from prison. Christian Brueckner (48), is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan (41), who has waived her right to anonymity, said she fears the German man will 'hunt her down'. 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years,' she told The Sun. 'Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. 'If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. 'A leopard doesn't change his spots.' Brueckner, a convicted sex offender, was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. Later this year, Ms Behan expects to discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. Hazel Behan (Steve Humphreys) Today's News in 90 Seconds - 08 June 2025 Ms Behan has accused the Portuguese authorities of alleged 'inaction' in identifying and prosecuting Brueckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Portuguese authorities over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine who went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007 when she was three years old. 'As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through and continue to go through every day for the past 18 years,' she said. German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest efforts to find out what happened to the missing child.
