An Irish woman testifies in court against Christian B. as a witness.
A suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, Christian B., is facing trial for three rapes. One of the victims has been identified as an Irish woman who was brutally assaulted by B. approximately 20 years ago. Her testimony will be pivotal.
She's a crucial witness: in the rape trial against Christian B., who's also a suspect in the Maddie case, one of the alleged victims is due to testify in court in Braunschweig today. This Irish woman was allegedly raped by the accused in Portugal two decades ago. Will her testimony help convict the 47-year-old German?
The indictment claims that B. gained entry through the balcony and raped the 20-year-old woman while she was sleeping, using a knife and a video camera. He reportedly recorded large parts of the attack. The woman managed to free herself and seek help afterward.
The Irish woman is significant because she's the only known victim from the three alleged rape cases in this trial. Others say they saw two more incidents on video, but the footage is missing and no possible victims could be found. B. is also charged with two cases of child molestation. All the crime scenes were in Portugal.
Maddie haunts the background
This trial is garnering a lot of global attention, mostly due to B. being suspected of murdering Madeleine McCann. McCann, a three-year-old, disappeared from a Portuguese vacation resort in 2007. Though Maddie isn't technically the focus of this trial, her case frequently comes up.
B. is silent about these allegations. His defense team, however, stated earlier that they believe he's not guilty. Overall, he's presumed innocent. He's currently serving a seven-year sentence for another rape.
The Irish woman connected B. to her ordeal when she read the news about his crime against an older American woman. The Guardian reported her saying, "When I read about it, it made me sick because it took me right back to my experience." The Daily Mail quoted her saying, "I can't wait to look my abuser in the eye and see him in court."
Regarding the attack on this witness, there was talk about whether she might recognize the perpetrator through a distinctive feature like a scar or birthmark. In the summer of 2022, a photo identification process was carried out with B.'s consent.
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In the international proceedings against Christian B., the Irish woman's testimony regarding the rape she allegedly experienced at his hands 20 years ago in Portugal will play a significant role. Despite serving a seven-year sentence for another rape in Portugal, B. is still facing trial for these charges in Lower Saxony.
Source: www.ntv.de
