A woman, identified as Julia Wandelt, broke down in tears during her trial as she expressed her belief that she could be Madeleine McCann. The trial at Leicester Crown Court revealed that Wandelt, a 24-year-old from Lubin, Poland, had been contacting Kate and Gerry McCann by sending emails, leaving voicemails, and visiting their home while claiming to be Madeleine, who went missing in Portugal in 2007 at the age of three.
Prosecutor Michael Duck KC questioned Wandelt about any scientific evidence linking her to the McCann family, to which she emotionally responded that she was exhausted and just wanted to know her true identity. Despite previous uncertainty expressed by Wandelt, she maintained her belief that she could be Madeleine but acknowledged the lack of DNA match between her profile and Madeleine’s.
Wandelt speculated on the McCanns’ lack of response to her communications, suggesting they may have been restricted from doing so. She lamented the time she spent trying to uncover her identity and accused Kate McCann of withholding information during the trial.
In a message to Mrs. McCann, Wandelt accused her of being corrupt and not genuinely wanting to find Madeleine, although she later regretted those statements, attributing them to her emotional state at the time. Wandelt, along with her co-defendant Karen Spragg, denied the charge of stalking between June 2022 and February of the following year.
The trial is ongoing, and further proceedings are expected.
