Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
DETAILS of the heinous charges facing Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner can be revealed for the first time today.
The 47-year-old German paedophile will stand trial in Germany next month accused of a string of sex crimes against women and children – including multiple rapes.
The Olive Press can exclusively reveal that the sex predator will be tried for five separate attacks that took place across Europe between the years 2000 and 2017.
One alleged incident involves a 14-year-old girl, who according to the prosecution, was tied to a post in Brueckner’s rented home in Portugal.
Brueckner is said to have beaten her with a whip and forced her to perfrom sexual acts on him – allegedly recording the sickening assault on his video camera.
The alleged attack is said to have taken place less than a mile from where Madeleine went missing in the resort of Praia da Luz at some point between December 28, 2000 and April 6, 2006.
According to official court filings seen by the Olive Press, the most recent accusation is from 2017.
On June 11 of that year, at around 2am, Brueckner is said to have made ‘eye contact’ with a young boy in a playground at a folk festival, as he exposed his genitals and began ‘pleasuring himself’.
The alarm was raised when the boy ran to his father for help, leading to a citizens arrest by an off-duty police officer. He was extradited to Germany, where he was facing trial for another sadistic rape of a grandmother – also on video – as well as to serve a sentence for further child abuse.
More worryingly, in April 2007, just days before Madeleine Mccann went missing, Brueckner is accused of lying in wait for a child on a beach.
READ MORE: EXC: Ground Zero – the ‘druidic circle’ hideaway of Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner
He snatched the child at around 3.30pm before forcing her to perform sex acts on him, prosecutors allege.
But his alleged victims are not only made up of children, as the documents read: “On an undetermined day between December 28, 2000 and April 8, 2006, the defendant is said to have surprised an unknown woman, aged approximately between 70 and 80, in her holiday apartment on the Algarve.
“The masked defendant tied up the victim, raped her and then beat her with a whip. He recorded the event with a video camera.”
Finally, the documents detail the case of Irish woman Hazel Behan, who claims Brueckner raped her in her apartment in Portugal on June 16, 2004.
The court filing reads: “At around 3am, the defendant is said to have gained access to a young woman’s apartment via the balcony.
“The masked defendant then woke her up with a knife and raped her several times. He also whipped the injured party before he fled over the balcony. The defendant also videotaped parts of this act.”
The highly-anticipated trial is expected to begin on February 16 and will last for at least three months.
More than 40 witnesses have been called in to testify, including up to half a dozen ex-lovers of Brueckner and a string of old acquantinces and friends.
The last scheduled witness is a specialist in forensic psychology, Dr Christian Riedemann, who will take to the stand on June 27.
The Olive Press will be covering the trial due to the many links to Spain and neighbouring Portugal, with a string of witnesses having lived in Spain for periods of time.
Bruckner also spent time in Spain during his alleged years of offending.
Below is the full list of allegations presented by the prosecution in German court documents:
- On an undetermined day between December 28, 2000 and April 8, 2006, the defendant is said to have surprised an unknown woman aged between 70 and 80 in her holiday apartment. The masked defendant tied up the victim, raped her and then beat her with a whip. He recorded the event with a video camera.
- On another day that cannot be precisely determined between December 28, 2000 and April 8, 2006, the defendant is said to have tied a girl of at least 14 years old to a wooden post in the house he lived in in Portugal. He then beat her with a whip and forced her to perform sexual acts. He also videotaped this act.
- On June 16, 2004 at around 3am, the defendant is said to have gained access to a young woman’s apartment via the balcony. The masked defendant then woke her up with a knife and raped her several times. He also whipped the injured party before he fled over the balcony. The defendant also videotaped parts of this act.
- On April 7, 2007 around 3.30pm, the defendant lay in wait for a child on the beach and forced the child to perform sexual acts on him.
- On June 11, 2017 at around 2am, the defendant made eye contact with a child in a playground at a folk festival. He then partially exposed himself in front of him and performed sexual acts on himself until he ran to his father for help.
