Polish woman convicted of harassing McCann family
A UK jury has found 24-year-old Julia Wandelt, from Lubin in Poland, guilty of harassing Kate and Gerry McCann but cleared her of the more serious charge of stalking. The case relates to incidents in 2022 when Wandelt claimed she was Madeleine McCann, who went missing in Portugal in 2007 at age three.
Trial and verdict
The month-long trial at Leicester Crown Court included rare courtroom testimony from both McCann parents and their adult twins. Jurors concluded Wandelt's actions amounted to harassment after prosecutors described episodes in which she knocked on the family's home, attended a vigil and demanded DNA tests to prove she was the missing child.
The jury acquitted co-defendant Karen Spragg of harassment and stalking, though the judge later imposed a five-year restraining order on her.
Sentence and orders
Judge Johanna Cutts sentenced Wandelt to the maximum six months in custody; she has already served that period while awaiting trial. The judge also ordered Wandelt's deportation and issued an indefinite restraining order banning any contact with the McCanns "for the protection of the McCanns." The judge described Wandelt's claims as having "no proper or logical basis" and called her behaviour "unwarranted, unkind and... criminal."
Evidence and defence
Prosecutors relied on forensic evidence showing Wandelt's DNA does not match Madeleine McCann's and that there is no familial link to the family. Wandelt's lawyer argued she was confused about her parentage. In testimony, Wandelt described a troubled childhood, including abuse by a step-grandfather, self-harm and a suicide attempt. She said similarities between that abuser and a police sketch connected to the McCann case contributed to her belief that she might be Madeleine.
Impact on the family
Kate McCann described the distress caused by Wandelt's behaviour, while Gerry McCann said it had become "at times unbearable." Their daughter Amelie said she had received "creepy" social media messages. The McCanns said in a joint statement: "We take no pleasure in the result" and that they brought the case because they "only wanted the harassment to stop."
Context
Madeleine McCann's disappearance in 2007 prompted a global search and sustained international media attention; the case remains unsolved. German prosecutors named Christian Brueckner as a prime suspect in 2020, but he has not been charged over Madeleine's disappearance. His release from a German jail in September after serving a separate sentence brought renewed attention to the long-running investigation.
Key facts: Wandelt convicted of harassment; acquitted of stalking. Six-month sentence (already served), deportation order, indefinite restraining order. Co-defendant Spragg acquitted but given a five-year restraining order. Forensic DNA evidence shows no familial link.
