Holiday rep ‘knew’ Maddie suspect Christian Brueckner ‘was a devil who raped her for his eyes’

A HOLIDAY representative “knew” Christian Brückner was the man who raped her based on his “piercing blue eyes”, a court has heard.

Hazel Behan recognized him from published photos because he was linked to the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

She claims that Brückner tied her up in 2004 – he was wearing a mask – and raped her three times after he climbed onto her balcony, also in the Algarve.

Ms Behan, from Dublin, told the court in Brunswick: “I remember he had piercing blue eyes. That’s how I recognized him in the newspaper.

“As soon as I saw his eyes, I felt sick.”

She added: “I remember he had the most piercing blue eyes – I don’t know if that was because he was dressed all in black, but I remember they stood out.”

The mother of three cried as she made the statement that was seen as crucial in keeping Brueckner behind bars to face the charges against Maddie.

Madeleine, three, disappeared from a flat in Praia da Luz on Portugal’s Algarve coast while holidaying with her parents Kate and Gerry, now both 55, from Rothley, Leics.

The mother said she reported the attack to police, but plainclothes officers followed her – with instructions to find out if she was “a slut.”

They also told her to “go home” to Ireland, claiming she could ruin the resort’s tourism reputation and threatened her friends “could lose her job”.

German investigators assume that Brückner kidnapped and murdered her – although no charges were brought against him.

Brueckner is on trial for a series of rapes and indecent exposures uncovered as part of the Madeleine investigation.

He denies the claims and the trial continues.