The full horror of Christian Brueckner’s sex crime allegations have been revealed in court today.
The Madeleine McCann suspect allegedly left one victim fearing he would behead her, whipped a woman in her seventies at least 20 times and made a girl vomit during abuse.
Convicted rapist Brueckner, 47, is accused of three rapes and two sex assaults said to have been carried out on Portugal’s Algarve coast in a period from 2000 to 2017.
The attacks took place just minutes from where then three-year-old Madeleine vanished from the holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007 where she was staying with parents Kate and Gerry and her siblings.
She has not been seen since and in June 2020 German police sensationally named Brueckner as the man responsible for her ‘abduction and murder’ but he has yet to be charged with anything relating to her disappearance.
Shocking details of how Brueckner’s alleged victim Hazel Behan, who said she was attacked in 2004 while working in the Algarve as a tour guide, feared she would be ‘beheaded’ by her attacker were read out in court.
The other two rapes he is accused of against an unknown woman aged between 70 and 80 years old and a girl of 14 were also described in horrific details, with the prosecutor saying Brueckner ‘hit the [older] woman’s body and face with at least 20 lashes’ using a whip and made the teenager vomit while orally raping her.
Wearing the same jacket as last week, a white shirt and khaki trousers Brueckner (left) shook hands with all legal team and winked with his legal team
Madeleine McCann (pictured) went missing on May 3 during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal
Brueckner (left) did not look towards the press or public gallery as the hearing started seven minutes after the scheduled 9am start
Prosecutor Ute Lindemann told the court that Brueckner had used a rape drug to incapacitate his victims before trapping them in his house.
Shocking details of Hazel Behan’s alleged rape were also read out in court this morning.
Ms Lindemann said: ‘After the beating had ended, the accused untied the witness Behan from the breakfast bar, while keeping her hands tied with the victim’s own belt and gagged, and dragged her naked by her hair back into the bedroom.
‘There, standing in front of her, he put a fresh condom over his penis and tried to penetrate the victim orally, which was initially unsuccessful because of the continued gagging.
‘When she choked and told the accused that she was going to vomit, he angrily stopped the oral sex and pushed the injured woman backwards with his hand against her forehead, causing her to fall to her feet with her hands still tied behind her back.
‘He then roughly grabbed her by the hair, dragged her back into the living room and initially let her go in order to take his knife, which he had left next to the television.
‘During this time, the injured party slipped into a corner of the living room and crouched there. While holding the knife, the accused asked the injured party to go to the bathroom, which she verbally refused in no uncertain terms.
‘The accused did not pursue this request, but instead grabbed the injured party by her hair again, dragged her to the small sofa in front of the living room window and asked her to kneel in front of the sofa and lower her head.
‘At that moment, the witness Behan was in fear of death because she feared that the accused would cut off her head with the knife.
Irish tour guide Hazel Behan (pictured) says she was attacked in 2004 while working in the Algarve
Brueckner (pictured) was hiding his face as he arrived in a van with a police escort and was swept inside for the start of the hearing and escorted into the courtroom flanked by guards and wearing handcuffs
On November 18, prosecutors confirmed Brueckner would stand trial for various charges of sexual abuse against women aged between 10 and 80
In this room in a house in Portugal Brueckner allegedly committed two of the sexual assaults he’s accused of
‘However, he threw a sheet over her body and began to collect all the things he had brought with him and used and put them in his bag. He then stepped backwards out of the balcony door, slipped into his shoes that had been left there and fled.’
In further graphic details on the attack on Hazel the prosecutor said:’He went to witness Behan’s bedroom and found her sleeping there.
‘At this point he was dressed entirely in black, wearing leather gloves and a full face mask. This only had two round cutouts for the eyes and a small slit for the mouth, so that the injured party could only see the accused’s eyes and his eyebrows.
‘He held a knife with an approximately 30 cm long blade in his left hand, knelt over the sleeping victim and called her name, which woke her up. He held the knife in such a way that the injured party could see it clearly when she woke up.
‘While she was panicking, he told her in a serious but calm tone not to scream, covered her mouth and pushed her head back onto the pillow. He then pulled her up from the bed by her outer clothing and hair and turned her onto her back.
‘In this position he pulled her pants and panties down to her ankles. He then turned her again so that she was kneeling on the bed on all fours in a kind of doggy position.
‘While performing anal intercourse, he temporarily touched the injured woman’s hips with his hands and held her by her hair.
‘After completing anal intercourse, the accused removed the condom from his penis, put it in the backpack he had brought with him and cleaned his gloves with a cleaning cloth he had brought with him.
‘The accused then grabbed the victim firmly by her hair and dragged her out of the bed onto the bedroom floor, where she initially came to lie next to the bed. The accused pulled her by her hair into the kitchen area to the breakfast bar there.
‘Once there, he pulled her up by her hair and placed her with her stomach and face on the wooden board of the breakfast bar, which is supported on the side by two metal legs.
‘He then took a rope from the backpack he had brought with him, tied the victim’s upper body to the bar and tied the ends of the rope tightly on her back. He then took a video camera out of his bag and positioned it on the television.
‘He then went back to the breakfast bar with additional ropes that he had brought with him, lifted the legs of the injured parties and tied one leg each to a metal leg of the bar.
‘Witness Hazel Behan found the way her legs were tied very painful because she was unable to keep her feet on the floor, which meant the thin, clothesline-like ropes cut into her legs.
Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner (pictured) has arrived in court as prosecutors attempt to start his sex crimes trial following last week’s chaotic start
Then three-year-old Madeleine vanished from the holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, in Portugal’s Algarve coast, in May 2007 where she was staying with parents Kate and Gerry and her siblings
This locator map shows where the McCann family went on holiday in 2007, in the Algarve region of Portugal
‘The accused removed the belt from the victim’s trousers in the bedroom, tied her hands behind her back and put a piece of material he had brought with him, similar to a cloth, into her mouth as a gag.
‘He went into the bedroom again and returned to her with a pair of scissors, which the victim had kept in a box under the bed.
‘He used this to cut her top and bra, so that the injured party was now completely naked and unable to move in front of him.
‘During this phase of the incident, the accused took the video camera from the television and filmed the victim from all around, turning her head into the position he wanted.
‘He then returned the camera to the television and placed it in the direction of the breakfast bar, to which he returned. The accused, standing behind the witness Behan, put a fresh condom over his penis and again penetrated the victim anally, who he had positioned in this way.
‘During this anal sex he penetrated the witness Hazel Behan less brutally and hatefully, but still very violently. However, he significantly extended the time of the sexual act in front of the camera.
‘Given the severe pain, the injured party, Hazel Behan, bit hard on the fabric gag and found it difficult to breathe. After the sexual act had ended, he removed the condom from his penis and cleaned his hands again. He then put the condom back in the bag he had brought with him.’
Carrying on she said: ‘The accused now turned to the witness Behan with the question “You’re scared, aren’t you?”, which she untruthfully denied.
‘The accused then took a whip with a handle and long leather tassels out of his pocket and systematically whipped the victim from the back down to the buttocks, which, according to the accused’s plan, caused her considerable pain.
‘When the injured party was asked again after the flogging whether she was now afraid, she had now broken her resistance and answered in the affirmative to the satisfaction of the accused.’
The other two rapes he is accused of against an unknown woman aged between 70 and 80 years old and a girl of 14 were also described in horrific details.
The prosecutor said: ‘He was masked with a stocking mask that only had holes for his eyes and mouth.
‘He put swimming goggles on the older lady, who was wearing a nightgown. Since their glasses were painted gray, the victim could no longer see anything.
‘He laid the woman on her stomach on her bed and tied her hands behind her back to make it impossible for the victim to resist what was happening.
‘He then set up the cameras he had brought with him in two different positions in the bedroom, aimed them at the bed and started recording.
‘He now turned the old lady onto her back and pulled her nightgown up to her waist. After sexual intercourse had ended, he removed the condom from his penis and went to the bathroom in the apartment.
Earlier this month Brueckner (pictured here during a court appearance on February 16) told the case against him was ‘ridiculous’, and sarcastically added: ‘I hope (they) will find some answers to (their) questions soon’
‘There he flushed the condom down the toilet. He then went back to the victim’s bed with a whip and hit the woman’s body and face with at least 20 lashes in order to enjoy the pain and fear he wanted in the woman.
‘The victim screamed and insulted the accused while the crime was being carried out. After the physical punishment, the accused sat down on the end of the bed, breathing heavily, took off his mask and placed a pillow on the completely frightened woman’s face before ending the recording.’
Detailing the teenager’s attack she said: ‘The accused met an unknown, German-speaking, youthful-looking girl with glasses, aged at least 14 years, in the Sitio das Lages house in Praia that he lived in da Luz, Lagos in Portugal tied naked to the wooden post in the living room.
‘For this purpose, he put her hands around the post behind her back and tied them together. First he hit the naked girl with a whip. The girl addressed the accused by the name “Chris” and made it clear to him that what he was doing was against her express will.
‘She begged him to stop and shouted “this is kidnapping, this is rape”. The accused acknowledged the girl’s conflicting will, but only put the whip aside and gave in to his excitement.’
The prosecutor then alleged Brueckner performed oral rape on the victim, which caused her to vomit.
She added: ‘The accused commented succinctly on this circumstance with the words: “Now you’re messing up my entire carpet.” He also videotaped this act.’
In his rebuttal of the indictment Mr Fulscher conceded that Hazel Behan, who has waived her anonymity, was raped and ‘went through something terrible that night’.
But he added:’ Although there is a witness statement in the files from a person close to Mrs Behan who accuses the co-plaintiff of having made up the whole incident and describes the co-plaintiff as a quasi-diabolical person.’
He added:’ A masked man forced her to have sex, inflicted pain on her and humiliated her. However, the person who committed this offence was not the defendant. Mrs Behan may be convinced of this.
‘During the hearing of evidence, it will be important for the defence to demonstrate the sources of error in the witness’s recognition: Starting with the low reliability of estimating body size, the circumstance of masking, the poor lighting conditions at the crime scene, the impact of the weapon focus effect, as well as the stress level and the passage of time.
‘If one comes to the conclusion that the witness is sufficiently reliable with regard to the description of the person, this will also have to be taken as a basis for her observation that the perpetrator had a cross-shaped scar on his right thigh.
‘This is a physical feature that the accused does not have and therefore excludes him as the perpetrator.
‘At the end of the hearing of evidence, it will not be possible to establish that the defendant sitting here is responsible for the offence committed against Hazel Behan. As in the other cases, he will have to be acquitted.’
Christian Brueckner has he walked into court today, holding a blue file and wearing the same jacket as during his last court appearance
In his lengthy rebuttal he also questioned the reliability of key witnesses Helge Busching and Manfred Seyferth, two former friends of Brueckner who helped secure his 2019 conviction for rape.
Both men said they had found a video camera on which they saw footage of Brueckner raping and torturing the elderly victim but this has never been recovered.
Mr Fulscher questioned their reliability saying their ‘respective consumption of narcotics and alcohol’ would have to be ‘looked at closely’.
While he added the ‘camera was allegedly found in a wardrobe of the house the accused moved out six years earlier,’ as he strived to blacken the evidence against Brueckner.
In his opening statement this morning, Brueckner’s lawyer said his client had been the victim of an unfair media campaign and that prosecutors repeated ‘this theory to the media like a prayer wheel.’
Mr Fulscher told the court in his opening statement: ‘Since June 2020, our client Christian Brueckner has been under constant worldwide media fire.
‘According to the Braunschweig public prosecutor’s office, he allegedly abducted and murdered Madeleine Beth McCann. The investigating authorities have been repeating this theory to the media like a prayer wheel.’
He added: ‘The results of the investigation have not yet been presented to the defence, so that the accused has not been able to substantiate this allegation. A comparable media campaign of prejudgement has been sought in vain.
Christian Brueckner (left) talking to his lawyer Mr Fulscher today
‘The greatest challenge for the court in these proceedings will be to free itself from these ulterior motives when investigating the procedural truth and assessing the evidence with regard to the accusations levelled.’
Proceedings started with Mr Fulscher confirming his client’s name and date of birth before prosecutor Ute Lindemann read out the five charges against him.
Turning to face her Brueckner listened intently as he consulted a file in front of him, making notes and occasionally turning to whisper to his legal team.
Ms Lindemann took almost 25 minutes to read out the indictment against him, which detailed the charges and he remained impassive throughout as he fixed his gaze on her.
Before the trial Brueckner arrived in a van with a police escort and was swept inside for the start of the hearing and escorted into the courtroom flanked by guards and wearing handcuffs.
Wearing the same jacket as last week, a white shirt and khaki trousers he shook hands with all legal team and winked with his legal team.
Carrying a file in his hand he did not look towards the press or public gallery as the hearing started seven minutes after the scheduled 9am start.
Last week’s proceedings lasted less than ten minutes after Brueckner’s lawyer filed an urgent challenge calling for one of the lay judges to be dismissed for making death threats on social media against ex Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
Earlier this month Brueckner told the case against him was ‘ridiculous’, and sarcastically added: ‘I hope (they) will find some answers to (their) questions soon.’
Mr Fulscher has said his client denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, as well as the current charges and said Brueckner is ‘stressed’ by the media presence and in ‘poor physical health’.
The trial is unrelated to Madeleine’s disappearance and press and public who wanted to enter the court building in Braunschweig near Hannover had to pass through two airport style metal detectors before getting to the first-floor courtroom.
In a bid to avoid the chaos of last week which saw the trial delayed for 40 minutes the court opened early although there appeared to be a smaller crowd than last week waiting to get in.
When asked by the if there were any further surprises Mr Fulscher – who is paid by German state funds – said cryptically: ‘Maybe….’
Convicted rapist Brueckner (pictured), 47, is accused of three rapes and two sex assaults said to have been carried out on Portugal’s Algarve coast in a period from 2000 to 2017
Last week, he told the court that child therapist should not be allowed to sit on the panel as one of the four lay judges.
Mr Fulscher highlighted how on 2019 she had posted on X, formerly Twitter, that former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro should be ‘assassinated’.
The tweets, which were seen by the Daily Mail before being taken down and read out in court said: ‘Kill the devil Jair Bolsonaro. Kill the Bastard Bolosonaro. He is the devil. He destroys everything. He must be killed. Now!!!’
She also posted attacks on hunter Walter James palmer who shot and killed Cecil the Lion as well as Donald Trump and his family.
Mr Fulscher also highlighted how she worked as a child therapist and given that the charges Brueckner faced involve minors suggested she would ‘probably be rather biased’ adding they ‘lacked any distance and judgement’.
After speaking for around ten minutes judge Uta Engemann said she would adjourn to consider the request and returned 40 minutes later to agreeing to it and postponing the trial until today.
Prosecutor Ute Lindemann agreed with her – although added the fact she had children was not relevant – but she added: ‘The application is justified. We do not tolerate statements outside the legal system and calls for murder.’
If he is found guilty he could spend the rest of his life in jail but sources close to him say he will remain offer no testimony on his suspected involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine.
He is insisting DNA and electronic evidence against him is wrong and witnesses are lying about him.
Prosecutors also face a dilemma as two of the rape victims are unidentified but the third victim is known – Irish tour guide Hazel Behan who says she was attacked in 2004 while working in the Algarve.
She says she was threatened with a knife, tied up and subjected to a hours long attack by a man who she later recognised as Brueckner after his picture was released by German police in 2020.
Christian Brueckner was pictured pulling up in prison van outside the courtroom in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, on February 16
Brueckner is known to have been in and around Praia da Luz on the Algarve coast at the time Madeleine (pictured) vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and her twin siblings
At the time she was a 20-year-old rep and the now married mother of three will be among several key witnesses who will give evidence at the trial which is due to last until June.
The other two rapes involve an unidentified woman aged between 70 and 80 years old and an unknown girl of around 14.
The fourth charge is an indecent assault against a 10-year-old girl on a beach close to where Madeleine vanished from a month later and the last is also indecent assault against another child in the Algarve in a playground in 2017.
Earlier this year Bruecker was moved from Oldenburg prison in northern Germany to Schnedebruch near Hannover for the duration of the trial.
He is currently serving a seven year sentence for raping an elderly US woman on the Algarve in 2005 and was jailed in 2019 after evidence from two former pals who will also testify at his new trial.
He was also moved after complaining of ill treatment from guards at Oldenburg where he was in a secure isolated unit.
Bruecker told : ‘My situation didn’t change at all. I just moved prison. I’m still totally isolated. Since (sic) more than two years now.
‘I’m still not allowed to talk with anybody else then to my lawyer sand to my punishers (guards).’