An alleged rape survivor of missing Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Bruckner said she hopes the child’s parents finally get the “answers and justice” they deserve.
Dubliner Hazel Behan 39, was allegedly assaulted by Bruckner in the holiday resort of Praia da Rocha in the Algarve. Ms Behan has claimed she was raped and assaulted several times in her flat in Portugal in June 2004 by Bruckner.
He is now the prime suspect in the disappearance of British girl Madeleine who was last seen on May 12, 2007. Ms Behan has wished the child’s parents well in their quest for justice and truth for the missing three-year-old.
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She said: “As a mother myself I cannot being to imagine the heartache and torture they have had to endure since Madeleine’s disappearance."
She told the Sunday Times: “Madeleine deserves justice too, she deserves for her truth to be told and the person who committed this crime needs to feel the full force of the law.
“I trust the German BKA [police] and I know they have undoubtedly exhausted every resource available to them. Kate and Gerry have never given up hope. I hope they too will finally get the answers and justice they rightly deserve.”
German prosecutors have said they believe Madeleine is dead after they launched an investigation into the child’s disappearance in 2020. Ms Behan, who is a former secretarial assistant with Sinn Fein, said she feels “lucky” to finally have a chance at justice.
She added: “Bruckner being charged is certainly a step forward for me and my family. While I am beyond grateful to the BKA, I can’t help but feel I’ve been thrown back to 2004.
“If the PJ [Portuguese police] had done their job at the time I feel I would have been a lot further along in my healing process.”
Bruckner was living in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007 and is serving a 17-year sentence in Germany for the rape of US woman Diana Menkes, 72. He is due to face trial next year in German while the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is continuing.
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