For nearly two heartbreaking decades, Gerry and Kate McCann have been searching for their little girl Madeleine, who vanished aged three, while they were holidaying in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007.
While they’ve always held on to hope that Madeleine would be found, the couple had no idea of the “unimaginable trauma” they faced when a woman claiming to be their daughter began harassing them for over two years.
From June 2022 to February 2025, Polish woman Julia Wandelt bombarded the McCanns with hundreds of messages and emails – in one day Wandelt called Kate 60 times.
After a five-week trial at Leicester Crown Court , Wandelt was found guilty of harassing the McCanns and was sentenced to six months in prison, which she has already served.
Wandelt, 24, and her 61-year-old associate, Karen Spragg, were also charged with stalking the McCanns – however a jury found the pair not guilty on November 8.
“I don’t want any money, I just want to talk to you,” Wandelt told Kate in a voice message sent in April 2024. “Don’t give up on your daughter… call me, please.”
Last December, Wandelt and Spragg reportedly harassed the McCanns at their Leicestershire home and even attended a vigil for Maddie.
“She called me mum, I think she was asking for a DNA test, ‘Why won’t you do a DNA test?’ and pleading with me,” Kate, 57, told the court on October 9.
“When I realised who it was, I felt quite distressed.”
Criminologist Xanthe Mallett says people falsely claiming to be a missing person can be very traumatic for the family.
“This woman may genuinely believe she is Madeleine, but police told the family she’s not,” Xanthe tells Woman’s Day.
“They’ve traced who she is and have spoken to her biological parents so, sadly, I think this is just a disturbed young woman.”
SHE’S NOT MADELEINE
After the alleged stalkers were arrested in February, police took a DNA sample from Wandelt, which was said in evidence given by DNA expert Rosalyn Hammond to not be a match to Madeleine, Kate or Gerry and ruling out any chance of her being the missing girl.
“Mum found it the hardest. She was harassed by Julia more than the rest of us and I think it definitely took its toll on her and her wellbeing,” Maddie’s little sister Amelie, 20, testified.
“It’s upsetting when someone’s begging you to believe them and playing with your emotions to the point you are questioning and doubting yourself.”
Amelie claims she was contacted by Wandelt multiple times, during which she recounted alleged memories of the time they spent together.
Wandelt is alleged to have even altered a photo of Amelie and Maddie with AI to substantiate her claims.
“She clearly edited the pictures to make me look more like her, which was quite disturbing,” Amelie said. “I knew deep down it wasn’t Madeleine.”
Amelie’s twin brother Sean chose to testify via a statement, saying, “I do not believe she is my sister. The fact Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of stress and I find it deeply disturbing.”
Now the trial is over, Wandelt is likely to be deported once she’s released later this week – while Spragg has received a restraining order which bans her from contacting the McCanns for five years.
