Three years prior to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007, Hazel Behan, an Irish woman, recounts a harrowing encounter with a man she believes to be Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in McCann’s case. While on a work holiday in Praia da Luz in 2004, Behan, then just 20, was attacked in her apartment. She states that the assailant broke in at night, wielded a knife, and subjected her to multiple sexual assaults while filming her, leaving her deeply traumatized.
Behan described the terrifying moments of that night, recalling how she awoke to someone calling her name and feared for her life. Despite the brutality she experienced, her subsequent report to the Portuguese police was met with indifference; critical evidence was overlooked, and her character was scrutinised instead of the perpetrator’s actions.
Years later, when British authorities released a photo of Brueckner as a suspect in McCann’s abduction, Behan recognised him as the man who attacked her. She has since taken her allegations to a German court, providing detailed testimony about the assault, but Brueckner was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Behan firmly believes that the shortcomings of the early investigation into her assault contributed to the tragic fate of McCann, stating, “If they had investigated my crime, I believe that Madeleine would still be at home with her parents.”
Currently, Brueckner is serving a prison sentence for a separate crime and is scheduled for release soon. Behan, who chose to waive her anonymity, continues to advocate for proper investigations into sexual assaults, highlighting the systemic failures that could allow such predators to remain at large. Her story sheds light on the importance of believing victims and thoroughly investigating crimes, which may have lasting repercussions on public safety.