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A Polish woman who falsely claimed to be Madeleine McCann has been found guilty of harassment but cleared of stalking the missing girl’s family. The ruling came Friday at Leicester Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
Prosecutors said Julia Wandelt, 24, harassed Kate and Gerry McCann through emails, messages, and phone calls for over two years. She spread false claims that she was Madeleine, the British girl who vanished in Portugal’s Algarve region in May 2007, just before her fourth birthday.
False Claim Shattered by DNA Evidence
According to prosecutors, there was “unequivocal scientific evidence” proving Wandelt had no biological link to the McCann family. The revelation reportedly caused Wandelt to break down in tears inside the courtroom.
Wandelt’s actions began in June 2022 and continued until her arrest in February. She appeared alongside Karen Spragg, 61, who allegedly supported her story. However, both were acquitted of stalking charges after the jury found insufficient evidence of intent to cause serious distress.
The court convicted Wandelt of harassment, a lesser offense carrying a maximum six-month prison term. She is expected to walk free later on Friday, given the time she has already served in custody.
McCanns Describe Emotional Distress
During testimony, Kate McCann told the court that Wandelt’s approach to her home in December 2024 left her “distressed” and “invaded.”
She described how Wandelt handed her a letter addressed to “mum” the following day — an act she said was “deeply upsetting.”
Gerry McCann and their daughter Amelie, Madeleine’s younger sister, also testified about the emotional toll the harassment caused.
Wandelt wept through parts of the testimony and told jurors she never meant harm. “I only wanted to know if I might be their missing daughter,” she said. “I even have sympathy for them because they look for their child, and I look for my parents.”
Family’s Ongoing Search for Madeleine
The Madeleine McCann harassment case has once again drawn attention to the family’s long search for their missing daughter. The McCanns continue to campaign for answers and issue a statement each year on the anniversary of her disappearance.
Madeleine would now be 22 years old. The main suspect in her case, a German national, was released from prison in September after serving a seven-year sentence for an unrelated sex crime.
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