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LISTEN: Rape Survivor Told She Was Danger To Tourism In Portugal And Should Go Home

Thursday, 17 April 2025 14:40

The Westmeath woman has lodged a case against the Portuguese authorities over the handling of her sexual assault case.

A midlands woman, who believes she was sexually assaulted by the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, says because the Portuguese Police failed to investigate her case properly, the perpetrator went on to commit more crimes as a result:

Hazel Behan was violently attacked in her apartment in the Algarve in 2004.

Christian Bruckner from Germany was tried and acquitted of her assault last year.

She has lodged a case before the European Court of Human Rights.

She says the police followed her following her reporting the crime and told to go home because her friends' jobs could be on the line if her story got out.

The Mullingar mum says she waived her right to anonymity so she do can what she can to make positive chances so other women don't have to go through what she did following the assault.

She's been speaking with Will Faulkner on Midlands Today:

If you have been impacted by Hazel's story you can contact the Athlone (Midland) Rape Crisis Centre on Freephone: 1800 306 600.

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