Latest news with #rapeSurvivor
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm terrified Maddie suspect Christian Brueckner will hunt me down after he's freed from prison, says rape survivor
RAPE survivor Hazel Behan fears Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner will 'hunt me down' after his prison release. Brueckner, 47, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a US woman aged 72. 4 4 And Hazel, 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 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.' Convicted paedophile Brueckner was named as the prime suspect over three-year-old Madeleine's 2007 disappearance in Praia da Luz, Portugal, five years ago. His expected release from his current conviction comes a month before Hazel will discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal last October for raping her, another woman and girl in Portugal in 2004. Although Judge Uta Engemann described the Dublin woman as a 'credible witness' and said 'we have no doubt something bad happened to her', she added there was not enough evidence to convict Brueckner on three counts of rape and two of indecent exposure. Hazel went on: 'I am a survivor of sexual assault and rape — a title I never asked for, but one I have carried with me every day for almost 21 years. "If he is released in September, he can go anywhere he wants. The police can only get involved in protecting me if he comes into my garden. Madeleine McCann cops call off search as trawl of Brueckner's 'rat run' turns up nothing 'I think of every survivor who never got to speak, and every woman who might become the next me. "The system may be ready to let him go, but I'm not. And neither is the wider society that deserves to feel safe.' The 41-year-old added: 'I have no doubt this predator is capable of anything "Age doesn't matter to him. It is about power and control for him and this won't have changed once he is out of prison. 'He has drifted across many countries over the years and targeted women and children of all ages. What's to stop him coming to Ireland and coming after me again? 'There have been reports he had plastic surgery and although his appearance is known, he could easily live underground and adapt a new identity and appearance. 'He is part of a world where people know how to stay hidden before they commit horrific levels of violence against women and kids.' Authorities in Germany are convinced of Brueckner's involvement in Madeleine's disappearance. Last week, officers travelled to Germany for a search of derelict farms in Praia da Luz he used for camping around the time Madeleine vanished. Despite his denial of any involvement, cops carried out the extensive hunt in the hope of finding a shred of evidence to link him to Madeleine — and to keep him behind bars. Hazel hopes if Brueckner is released in September, German police will monitor his actions. And she said: 'It took the German BKA to restore my faith in the police as my experience with the Portuguese was horrendous, to put it mildly. 'I believe the BKA are doing a stellar job and working very hard to bring justice to those believed to be victims of Christian B.' Former holiday rep Hazel also spoke of her ongoing trauma, adding: 'On the 16th of June 2004, 21 years ago, my life changed forever. Face behind the mask 'The man who raped me took more than my sense of safety — he murdered my spirit and crushed my soul. He destroyed all the little parts of me that made me, me. 'He took my trust, my voice, and for a long time, my ability to live freely in the world. 'Since then, I have worked tirelessly to reclaim those pieces of myself. But no matter how much therapy I go through, how much time passes, some scars don't fade.' Hazel also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine. She said: ' 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.' On her fight for justice, she said: 'On the 3rd of June 2020, following 16 years of getting to know this 'new me', I was once again thrown back to 2004 — only this time, I was made aware of the face behind the mask. "I grappled with whether I had the mental strength to highlight myself to the relevant authorities as a potential victim, but I knew, deep down, if I didn't, I would always regret it. 'The following four years were unimaginably tough for me and my family and nothing could have prepared me for what lay ahead. "Facing the man I believed completely destroyed my life in court is one of the most difficult things I have willingly ever had to do.' She has also taken a case to the European Court of Human Rights over what her lawyer called the 'systematic and inexcusable failings by the Portuguese authorities that has denied her, and others, justice'.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Court transcripts: Victims call for more to receive judge's remarks
For many survivors of rape and sexual assault, the courtroom is a place of painful confrontation where they must recount their trauma in pursuit of justice. But long after the verdict is delivered, they can now receive the judge's sentencing remarks - and are calling for more to have that Sarah, a survivor of sexual violence, received the envelope containing the sentencing remarks of the judge who sent her abuser to jail, she assumed that she would simply leave it unopened in a four-week trial had been "horrific" and she didn't think that it was something she would ever want to return when she read through the document, she was amazed at how it made her feel."It was ten pages of absolute wonderfulness," Sarah told me. "The judge's words were so empowering, so validating. "She knew what I had suffered. People say 'you're brave', but they say it in a flippant way. To hear a high-up judge say I was brave was hugely comforting for me."Sarah, whose name has been changed to protect her anonymity, received the transcript of the sentencing remarks under a government pilot last spring, it allows victims of rape and sexual offences - where the defendant has been found guilty - to apply for a transcript of the sentencing remarks free of pilot was launched after campaigners complained that some victims were being charged thousands of pounds to access court government said this week it would accept the recommendations of the Independent Sentencing Review to continue the scheme permanently. 'Cruelly charged' London's Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman welcomed the news, saying not being able to access a transcript could be a "real block to recovery" for said one woman had been quoted £30,000 for a transcript of her full trial, while quotes for sentencing remarks ranged from £30-£ Waxman said victims she had spoken to had told her that even the lower costs were unaffordable to them, especially "for something that they felt really should come as a part of them being able to see justice being done." Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, Sarah Olney, also welcomed the move, describing it as "shocking that some victims have been cruelly charged thousands of pounds for a transcript about their own case which is already traumatising enough." Ms Olney had previously raised the case of one of her constituents who was charged £7,459.20 for transcripts of the trial that resulted in her former partner's conviction. Sarah told me she would never have tried to apply for the sentencing remarks in her own case unless it had been free of charge. She said she had known nothing about the government pilot until she saw a campaign by another young woman called Charlotte, who was trying to raise awareness of it."I didn't want much to do with it at first," Sarah told me. "I didn't think I needed it, but I felt I should throw my weight behind the campaign as it might help others."Now, "those ten pages help my healing," she said. 'Bundle of joy' Charlotte, who has asked us not to use her full name, said she had received positive feedback from a number of victims who had applied for their free transcripts via the pilot."They say it's life changing," she said. "One woman said they were like a bundle of joy - they were able to read them every night when they felt not believed or when they felt like they were over exaggerating, or that didn't actually happen to them."They were able to pick up those transcripts and read those affirmations back from the judges who've explained that what happened to them was not right."She said the pilot had helped about 500 people so far, but believed it could have been much higher as it was not promoted for several months after it first launched. She said she would now like to see the scheme expanded to help others. Ms Waxman said she believed the scheme should be available to help many victims of other crimes, not just rape and sexual offences."We hear from victims of all crime types, especially those with real vulnerability, around domestic abuse, around stalking, around hate crime, for example, and they want to be able to access sentencing transcripts as well." 'Struggling to understand' Ms Waxman also called for the judge's summing-up remarks to be made available for free to people who had made allegations in cases where defendants were found not guilty, which she said would help provide clarity around how decisions were made."It's really difficult for them to understand why there was an acquittal, especially if they haven't come back in to the court process, which many of them won't have done."She explained that many victims find it too traumatising to return to court once they'd given evidence, and many were advised by police and barristers not to, sometimes over concerns, in the case of a guilty verdict, that they might be "disruptive" during Waxman said that there were ways around this, including managing expectations about the process, or offering a video link to watch proceedings if they felt unable to attend in added that CPS guidance had now been updated to make it clear that victims or witnesses had a right to remain to watch the trial. But Charlotte said she had spoken to women who had been told "it might look bad" in front of the jury if they gave evidence behind a screen, and then went on to sit in a public gallery to watch the rest of the trial, and that doing so might mean having to sit next to their abuser's family or said it meant they were left struggling to understand what had taken place in their absence and it went against the principle of open justice."The entire trial is about you. It's about the worst time of your life, about the most personal times of your life, but you have no idea what they've said."It feels kind of degrading, it feels scary. "There are people in the gallery, there are people in the room, but you have no idea what's been said." She explained that she had started the campaign following her own experience of giving evidence against a man she accused of coercive was found not case was heard in a magistrates' court, and Charlotte says she was told that records of the hearing had no longer been retained, so there was no possibility of obtaining a transcript."I only got snippets from people who sat in the gallery, and I just couldn't move on, because I wanted to know how this had happened, but the only way to find out was to get hold of a transcript." Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood paid tribute to the "real bravery" shown by Olney's constituent for explaining "why the scheme would have made a difference to her own recovery". She said the government would examine whether it needed to do more on publicising the scheme and that she hoped AI technology could be used as part of reforms."I do not believe that we are very far away from having tech that is accurate enough to be a matter of court record, but we are not quite there yet," she said. "It is something we continue to work on." Now that Sarah has received the transcript of the sentencing remarks in her case, she describes herself "as one of the lucky ones"."I love having it. I love being able to look at it when I'm feeling overwhelmed."He always told me people would never believe me," she said of her abuser. "Having those ten pages makes me realise people did believe me. It made me feel less alone."
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Daily Mail
I was humiliated by traumatic court ordeal, rape survivor Ellie tells new documentary
A rape survivor has spoken of being 'humiliated' at the trial of her attacker during a 'bruising' court ordeal. Ellie Wilson crowd-funded to prepare for a successful complaint against defence lawyer Lorenzo Alonzi after her rapist, Daniel McFarlane, was jailed for five years, and now campaigns for victims' rights. She is the subject of a new BBC documentary, which followed Ms Wilson over nine months - after she discovered McFarlane was up for parole and was being considered for early release, which he was not granted. Ms Wilson said Mr Alonzi's treatment of her had left her feeling 'humiliated' and he was later found to be guilty of 'unsatisfactory professional conduct'. Convicting My Ex tells the story of Ms Wilson's abusive relationship and 'bruising experience of the criminal justice system' - and explores the toll that going public has taken. In 2022, McFarlane, Ms Wilson's ex-boyfriend, was convicted of raping her twice during their relationship. After returning from a running competition, he raped her and revealed that he had done it before, when she was asleep. Determined to have proof of what he had done, she secretly recorded McFarlane's admission on her phone, which led to his prosecution and conviction. Ms Wilson, 27, who said she was barred from attending her rapist's parole hearing on the grounds that it would not be in the 'interests of justice', told the BBC: 'I was painted in court as a temptress.' She said she had nightmares about McFarlane in the run-up his last parole bid, adding: 'I don't know how I'm supposed to be able to live a normal life.' Ms Wilson said she felt 'degraded' and 'defeated in [her] soul' after McFarlane raped her - but they resumed their relationship after he threatened to 'hurt himself'. He was the 'perfect boyfriend' at that time but changed and became more controlling, then confessed he had raped her while she was asleep - which she said was a 'whole other betrayal'. Ms Wilson tried to take her own life and spent a week in hospital - but McFarlane's abuse of her continued. She said: 'When I decided to waive my anonymity after my court case concluded in 2022, I did so because I was angry - both at the abuse I'd suffered and the ways in which the system let me down - and I wanted to use my voice for change. 'It's incredible to now be able to tell my story fully through this documentary. 'This documentary exposes the complexity of domestic abuse and sexual violence in young relationships and challenges reductive stereotypes about what a 'victim' should look like.' Following her experience at the trial, Ms Wilson made headlines after waiving her right to anonymity to challenge McFarlane's defence lawyer. Mr Alonzi questioned whether she had narcissistic personality disorder and told jurors that it was 'difficult not to imagine some sense of injustice' for McFarlane, who the lawyer claimed had fallen in love with the 'wrong person'. Ms Wilson said it was 'almost like he [Mr Alonzi] was enjoying it' and she felt she had been 'publicly humiliated'. Last year, the Faculty of Advocates' complaints committee found that Mr Alonzi's behaviour amounted to unsatisfactory professional conduct on six of the 11 issues raised. Ms Wilson also told documentary-makers that she has been targeted by an anonymous social media account which posted a photograph of her in a bath, an image which she said had been on McFarlane's phone. McFarlane, a medical student, was 26 when he was sent to prison for two rapes which took place in December 2017 and February 2018. The attacks happened when he was 19 and a student at Glasgow University. Ms Wilson has built a significant social media following as a campaigner and is now fighting to improve the experience of the criminal justice system for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. In February, the Mail revealed victims of crime had been barred from parole hearings in case their appearance harms the prisoner's 'mental health' or causes 'disruption'. Reasons for refusal also include the risk that the victim's presence while the criminal's bid for freedom is heard could prove 'detrimental to the public interest'. *Convicting My Ex will be broadcast on BBC Three at 9pm on Tuesday May 13 and will be available on iPlayer on the same day.
