đš MADELEINE MCCANNâS FAMILY TESTIFIES AGAINST POLISH WOMAN CLAIMING TO BE MISSING GIRL
The family of Madeleine McCann â the British girl who vanished in 2007 during a family vacation in Portugal â has testified against a Polish woman who falsely claimed to be their missing daughter and is now accused of stalking them.
Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wandelt, first made headlines in 2023 after posting side-by-side comparisons of herself and Madeleine McCann online, claiming to have found âproofâ that she was the missing child. Authorities say Wandelâs obsession with the McCann family escalated into stalking behaviour throughout 2024 and 2025.
In February 2025, Wandel was arrested and charged with stalking four members of the McCann family â Gerry and Kate McCann, and their twins, Sean and Amelie. Prosecutors allege she sent incessant messages, made numerous phone calls, and appeared twice at the McCannsâ home in the U.K. demanding DNA tests.
Amelie McCann, who was in the same room as Madeleine on the night she disappeared, testified that Wandel contacted her on social media, claiming to share memories from their supposed childhood together. âItâs disturbing she is coming up with these supposed memories when she is not Madeleine,â Amelie said. She added that the situation has taken a toll on her motherâs health.
Kate McCann also testified behind a privacy screen, telling the court that Wandel would sometimes call over 50 times a day, leave voicemails, and even travel from Poland to their home in December 2024 to confront her in person. âShe said, âIâm your daughter. You should call me mom,ââ Kate recalled. She said she felt âinvaded and distressedâ after the encounter.
Wandel later left a letter on the McCannsâ door signed âMadeleine X,â apologizing for causing distress but insisting she believed she was their daughter. Another woman, Karen Spragg, who befriended Wandel online, is also facing a stalking charge.
Polish authorities quickly refuted Wandelâs claims in 2023, and her parents publicly stated that her assertions were false and had deeply hurt their family. Madeleine McCannâs disappearance from her bed in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, remains one of the worldâs most widely followed missing person cases.
In May 2025, the McCanns marked the 18th anniversary of Madeleineâs disappearance, reaffirming their commitment to the search: âOur determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering.â
In the U.K., stalking that causes serious alarm or distress can result in up to 10 years in prison.
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