Julia Wandelt, 24, was found guilty of harassing Kate and Gerry McCann after repeatedly contacting them and appearing at their home; a co-defendant was acquitted. Wandelt received a six-month sentence with time served and a restraining order was imposed amid concern she may reoffend. Forensic evidence presented at trial reportedly rules her out as Madeleine McCann; a decision on her deportation now rests with the UK secretary of state.
Woman Who Claimed She Might Be Madeleine McCann Convicted of Harassing the Missing Girl’s Parents; Faces Possible Deportation
Julia Wandelt, 24, was found guilty of harassing Kate and Gerry McCann after repeatedly contacting them and appearing at their home; a co-defendant was acquitted. Wandelt received a six-month sentence with time served and a restraining order was imposed amid concern she may reoffend. Forensic evidence presented at trial reportedly rules her out as Madeleine McCann; a decision on her deportation now rests with the UK secretary of state.
22:11, 07.11.2025Society
Polish woman convicted of harassing Kate and Gerry McCann
Julia Wandelt, 24, was convicted on Friday of harassing Kate and Gerry McCann after repeatedly contacting them between June 2022 and February 2024. A jury at Leicester Crown Court found Wandelt guilty following a five-week trial; a co-defendant, Karen Spragg of Cardiff, was acquitted of harassment and stalking charges.
Justice Johannah Cutts sentenced Wandelt to six months in prison with time already served and imposed a restraining order, citing a "significant risk" that she could harass the McCanns again. Prosecutors said Wandelt made numerous phone calls, left messages and attended the McCanns' home in December 2023 seeking a DNA test.
Forensic experts told the court that DNA evidence shows "Julia Wandelt cannot be Madeleine McCann," because her DNA did not match the missing girl's. Wandelt has told the court she believes there is a "50/50" chance she might be Madeleine and has claimed memories she attributes to induced hypnosis.
Wandelt told the court: "I do believe I'm her... I do remember them but I'm exhausted, I'm completely exhausted with all of this."
Investigators continued inquiries over the summer at Praia da Luz, the Portuguese holiday resort where Madeleine disappeared in 2007. Last month the main suspect in the long-running investigation, Christian Bruckner, was released after completing a sentence for an unrelated rape conviction.
A deportation order for Wandelt now rests with Britain’s secretary of state, who will decide whether she remains in custody or is returned to Poland. The restraining order and the custodial sentence reflect the court’s concern about protecting the McCann family from further contact.