The family of Madeleine McCann, a British girl who disappeared in 2007 while on a family vacation in Portugal, testified against a Polish woman who claims to be their missing daughter and is accused of stalking their family.c
Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wandelt, first claimed to be McCann in 2023 when she posted numerous pieces of “evidence” to social media, most of which were side-by-side comparisons of similar physical characteristics between her and McCann.
In February, Wandel was arrested and accused of stalking McCann’s family by contacting them incessantly and turning up at their home in the U.K. She was charged with stalking four members of the McCann family — parents Gerry and Kate, and twin siblings Sean and Amelie — throughout 2024 and into 2025. She was also alleged to have paid unwanted and unsolicited visits to their home twice, in May and December of last year.
In January 2024, Wandel sent McCann’s younger sister, Amelie McCann, a message on social media. Amelie testified in court Thursday that she felt like responding to Wandel was her only option at the time.
“I didn’t think it was a criminal offence or know it would be considered stalking. I just thought I could deal with it myself and to ignore it,” Amelie said in court, according to the BBC. “I didn’t want to add any additional stress to my parents or my family, so I just left it with myself.”
Wandel allegedly attempted to convince Amelie, who was in the room with McCann on the night she went missing in 2007, that she was her sister. Wandel also tried to recount alleged memories she had of the time she claimed to have spent with Amelie before her disappearance.
“It’s disturbing she is coming up with these supposed memories when she is not Madeleine,” Amelie said, appearing via video feed.
She also said that their mother was affected the most by Wandel’s actions and claimed “it took a toll on her well-being.”
McCann’s brother Sean opted to have a statement read in court on his behalf instead of appearing via video feed. Sean said he did not engage with Wandel and blocked her on social media after she first reached out to him.
In his statement, Sean spoke about the efforts Wandel went to with his mother and twin sister, Amelie, and said she “messaged them a lot more.”
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He said the contact he had with Wandel “made him think about changing his online presence” and added that he took his last name out of his social media profiles in order to avoid Wandel “and her supporters.”
Sean said Wandel’s claims that she is his sister were “upsetting and disrespectful.”
“If she is fully aware she is not Madeleine, then this is very upsetting for me,” he added.
Sean said he does not believe Wandel is his missing sister and added that he does not “want anything to do with her.”
McCan’s mother, Kate, took the stand on Wednesday but was covered by a curtain so she would not have to see Wandel, the BBC reports.
Kate said Wandel first contacted her three years ago and would leave voice messages, claiming to be Madeleine. She also alleged that Wandel would call more than 50 times some days.
McCann’s mother also said that after Wandel’s repeated DNA requests, she “almost wanted to put it to bed” to stop Wandel’s “persistence.”
When asked about when she became aware of Wandel’s contact with Amelie, Kate said she found out in September 2024 that Wandel had been contacting her since January of the same year.
“It was the final straw for me. I discussed it with the police,” she added.
Wandel flew from Poland to England and drove to the McCanns’ home, where she demanded they submit to a DNA test in December 2024.
The woman approached Kate in her driveway as she was getting out of her car. When asked what Wandel said to her, Kate said: “It was the usual stuff, ‘I’m your daughter, you should call me, mom.’… (She was) asking for a DNA test, pleading with me.”
Kate said she felt “invaded in her own home” and “distressed” after Wandel’s first visit.
Wandel left a letter on the McCanns’ front door after the face-to-face meeting in December 2024. The letter was read in court, and said in part: “I’m so sorry for causing you so much distress, but when I saw you yesterday, my emotions were so strong.
“I think you are scared, but whatever makes you scared, just remember that you are stronger than that. Yesterday, I heard a lot of care and love in your voice. I hope you will find a way to contact me.”
The letter was signed “Madeleine X.”
Wandel and Karen Spragg, a 61-year-old Welsh woman who became a supporter of Wandel after hearing her story, are both charged with a single count of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann causing serious alarm or distress, which they both deny.
Polish police disputed Wandel’s claims that she was McCann after she reached viral fame and Wandel’s own parents spoke out about her campaign, saying they were “devastated” by her claims and the worldwide media attention they garnered.
Madeleine McCann, the then-three-year-old British girl, disappeared from her bed while on vacation with her family in the Praia da Luz resort in southern Portugal on May 3, 2007. She has not been seen since.
In May, McCann’s parents marked the 18th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance, saying that their “determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering.”
“We will do our utmost to achieve this.”
In the U.K., the maximum sentence for stalking depends on the severity, with the maximum being 10 years in custody for offences that cause fear of violence, or serious alarm or distress.
— With files from Global News
