Grave accusations surface during trial of Maddie's suspected abductor. - The Portuguese police performed poorly.
An Irish administrative worker is the key witness in a case against Christian Brückner (47) in Braunschweig Regional Court. Brückner is accused of raping and murdering Madeleine McCann (3) in 2007, and faces five sexual offense charges. Hazel B. claims with certainty that the accused is the man who assaulted her in June 2004.
If the court believes her testimony, Brückner could face life imprisonment.
While on the stand, Hazel B. alleged that the Portuguese police disregarded her ordeal despite her being found exposed and traumatized at her apartment building's reception immediately after the incident. It was only after eight days that the police called her for questioning in Portimão. No family member was allowed to accompany her, and a friend fluent in Portuguese had to come, leaving Hazel feeling lost and disoriented. The officers were seated casually with their feet on the table, and seemed more interested in amusement than helping. She testified that the questioning lasted only a few minutes before it was over, and she never heard from the police again.
The police had little regard for her ordeal, attributing the commotion to harming their tourism industry in the Algarve. As Hazel tried to understand her situation, plainclothes officers reportedly chased her. Apparently, their main interest was to accuse her of promiscuity.
Elements of sloppy police work and disinterest in the crime are evident in the Hazel B. case. Similar to the Maddie case, Lagos' police secured the crime scene far too late - hours after the offense had taken place. The investigation thereafter focused on the parents.
The Portuguese police's disregard for the Hazel B. case may help explain the inconsistency in their report. One notable discrepancy is the descriptor of the attacker's body art. The police report mentions a "tattoo on the buttocks," but Hazel insists she never made such a statement. She only mentioned that the attacker "had something on his thigh. I don't know what."
Another inconsistency is the description of the restraints. Recollections from the crime scene depict a belt in blue, white, and red while the report cites "colorful adhesive tape."
Intensely curious, Judge Dr. Uta Engemann questions Hazel B. about her intimate life before and after the crime. Hazel, visibly distressed by the interrogation, requires a break when the court asks how long her injuries lasted. "I'm still bleeding."
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Source: symclub.org
