By Charlotte Webster-
A Polish woman currently facing charges for allegedly stalking the family of missing toddler Madeleine McCann broke down during her testimony at Leicester Crown Court. Julia Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in south-west Poland, stands accused of spreading the narrative that she is Madeleine, who famously vanished during a 2007 family holiday in Portugal at the age of three.
Madeleine McCann went missing during a family holiday to Portugal in 2007. Pic: PA
Wandelt wept as she addressed the jury on Thursday, tearfully stating, “I do believe I’m her.” This emotional outburst came immediately after the court was told by the prosecution that it remains “blindingly obvious” that the defendant is not the missing toddler. The prosecution focused heavily on the lack of any scientific evidence linking Wandelt to Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, throughout the cross-examination period. The ongoing proceedings in the McCann Stalker Trial continue to draw significant attention worldwide.
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Visibly and audibly emotional during questioning, Wandelt told the court she felt completely “exhausted” by the entire affair. “Actually, I don’t care anymore,” she declared to the jury. “If people here say I’m not, you know what, I’m OK with it.” Her focus has shifted simply to establishing her identity. “I want to know who I am. If I’m not, I’m not. It’s fine,” she insisted. She consistently maintained her deeply held conviction, stating, “I do believe I’m her. I do remember them but I’m exhausted.”
Wandelt repeatedly emphasized her mental fatigue, saying, “I’m completely exhausted with all of this.” Asked directly whether she believed Madeleine’s father, Gerry McCann, could be her biological father, she provided an ambiguous answer: “It’s neither no nor yes.” The defendant stated she felt wrongly placed in the witness box. “I wasted three-and-a-half years of my life working out who I am,” she lamented, adding, “I think I’m in the wrong place. I should not be in the witness box today.”
Prosecutor Michael Duck KC directly challenged Wandelt’s claims regarding her identity during a powerful cross-examination in the courtroom. Mr. Duck reminded the defendant that no scientific evidence connects her to the McCann family at all. The prosecutor told her emphatically, “One thing that’s blindingly obvious is that your (DNA) profile and Madeleine’s did not match.” He then pushed the defendant further, asking if she accepted the implications of the forensic findings. “Assuming the profile is Madeleine’s, do you accept that by simply looking at it, it has nothing to do with you?” he pressed. Wandelt acknowledged the forensic reality, replying, “Assuming that this belongs to Madeleine, then yes.”
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She offered a theory as to why the McCanns did not respond to her attempts at contact, suggesting, “Maybe they were not allowed to.” She found it difficult to accept that “the parents of a missing child don’t want to follow a lead.” The trial highlights the complex intersection of genuine personal identity confusion and the impact of persistent public claims on a family. Experts often utilize advanced forensic techniques, such as those described by the International Commission on Missing Persons, to establish identity in sensitive cases like this.
Julia Wandelt faces one count of stalking alongside her co-defendant, Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff. They both deny the charge of stalking the McCann family between June 2022 and February of this year. The jury heard on Thursday that Ms. Spragg will not be called upon to give evidence as part of her defense in the trial.
A previous court sketch of Karen Spragg (left) and Julia Wandelt (right), with Kate McCann sitting behind a blue curtain. Pic: PA
The case has raised difficult questions about the balance between freedom of expression and the necessity of protecting the privacy of victims and their families. While the prime focus of the proceedings is the stalking charge, the underlying public fascination with the identity claim has dominated media reporting on the McCann Stalker Trial. The trial is currently scheduled to resume its proceedings on Monday morning.
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