Irish woman's heartbreaking six-word reaction after Maddie McCann suspect cleared of her rape

The judge remarked that Hazel Behan was a “credible” witness, saying: “We have no doubt that something terrible happened to her,” but added that "it cannot be proved that he was the perpetrator of this terrible crime”

Maddie McCann suspect Christian Brueckner was cleared on Tuesday of a string of unrelated sex crimes in Portugal – including the rape of Irish tour rep Hazel Behan.

Judge Engemann took just seconds to announce a “full acquittal” at the court in Braunschweig, Germany. Hazel told ITV after the verdicts were announced: “I’m shattered. I’m really, really broken.”

She came forward in 2020 saying she believed he was the masked man who raped her in her apartment in 2004. Brueckner, 47, was charged in September last year – paving the way for the eight-month trial.

READ MORE: Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner cleared of rape of Irish tour guide in Portugal

READ MORE: Madeleine McCann's parents' dignified two-sentence response as prime suspect cleared of rape of Irish woman

The judge said Hazel was a “credible” witness, adding: “We have no doubt that something terrible happened to her.” But she stated: “There is no DNA, no fingerprints, no objects which were found to prove that he was there. It cannot be proved that he was the perpetrator of this terrible crime.”

The judge also ruled the evidence “was not enough for a conviction” in the other cases. She said of the five acquittals: “The evidence we had was not enough for a conviction. It may be extremely unsatisfactory for those involved, but that is how the rule of law works.”

Prosecutors said they will take the case to the Federal Court of Justice to appeal and ask for a retrial. But if they fail, Brueckner will walk free from prison next September at the end of his seven-year sentence for rape. A psychiatrist had warned in Brueckner’s trial that he remains “in the top league of dangerousness” and will likely reoffend.

He was named by German and British police as the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance in June 2020. Three years earlier, Helge Busching, his former friend, had contacted Scotland Yard. In interviews, he told detectives about other alleged crimes carried out by the German in Portugal. His story was backed up by Manfred Seyferth, a fellow friend in Portugal.

But explaining her verdicts yesterday, Judge Engemann described the evidence of Busching and Seyferth as “almost worthless”. Prosecutors now fear Brueckner could flee Germany before he can be charged over Madeleine.

Hans Christian Wolters said: “The clock is ticking. Christian Brueckner is still our only suspect. We have evidence he killed Maddie. We have no forensic evidence but we have evidence. We only have one year.

“If the Supreme Court rules in our favour before his release, then we will try to get an arrest warrant for his retrial on these cases. But if there will be no retrial then we only have the Maddie case. If we don’t have enough evidence, then he will walk free from prison. We can’t stop him going wherever he wants after he is released.”

Brueckner denies any wrongdoing over Madeleine, who vanished from her family’s holiday apartment on the Algarve in May 2007, aged three. And his lawyer, Philipp Marquort, claims the pervert will never stand trial in that case. He said: “I believe they have a weak case.”

A source close to Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry said: “They will not be commenting.”

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