Polish woman Julia Wandelt has spent years convinced she is Madeleine McCann, the little girl who went missing on a family holiday in Portugal in 2007. So determined that Kate and Gerry McCann are her parents, 24-year-old Wandelt has allegedly bombarded the British family with hundreds of phone calls and messages and even turned up at their home.

She is now on trial in the UK, charged with stalking the family between June 2022 and February 2025, something she denies.

Karen Spragg, a 61-year-old Welsh woman who allegedly became convinced of Wandelt’s story and contacted the McCanns about it, is also pleading not guilty to a stalking charge.

In this handout photo, released September 16, 2007, missing child Madeleine McCann smiles. (Credit: Getty)
The court heard Wandelt’s alleged campaign of harassment began with calls and voicemails to Kate, Gerry, and their now 20-year-old children, twins Amelie and Sean, pleading for a DNA test to prove herself.

Voicemails were played in court with Wandelt claiming her DNA was almost a 70 per cent match to Kate’s.

“You are my mother, it’s science, no one can deny it,” Wandelt said.

In another voicemail, she pleaded: “What if there is a small chance that I’m her? … Isn’t that important for you? I don’t want money, I have a life here in Poland, I just want to know,” Wandelt said.

“Help me. Don’t think Madeleine is dead. This is a chance. Please, I beg you.”

Kate and Gerry McCann hold an age-progressed police image of their daughter during a news conference to mark the 5th anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, on May 2, 2012, in London. (Credit: Getty)
The jury was told how Wandelt and Spragg made “increasingly bizarre plans” to collect Kate McCann’s DNA, which included going through the family’s bins and taking forks from restaurants they’d dined at.

Wandelt also turned up at the McCanns’ home, leaving them “distressed” and giving Kate a “fright”.

From the start, police on the case deemed Wandelt not to be Madeleine due to a lack of resemblance. She is also two years older than the missing girl and, in the past, has allegedly claimed to be two other missing children. At Wandelt’s eventual arrest, they did take her DNA, though.

“A comparison took place. It conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann,” Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell told the court, although he added: “There was a possibility she would never accept she isn’t Madeleine even when provided with scientific proof.”
General view shows the apartment hotel building where Madelaine McCann disappeared in Praia da Luz, southern Portugal, 09 May 2007. (Credit: Getty)
This isn’t the first time someone has claimed to be Madeleine. DCI Cranwell said 13 people have previously come forward. The fact that Wandelt targeted Kate and Gerry’s children was what drove them to take this case to court.

Madeleine’s sister, Amelie, gave evidence about the “creepy” messages she was sent via social media, including memories Wandelt claimed to have about her childhood, playing games like Ring a Ring o’ Roses with her and Sean.

“It’s quite disturbing that she’s coming up with these supposed memories, even though she’s not Madeleine,” Amelie said.

Karen Spragg arrives at Leicester Crown Court on October 7, where she is charged with one count of stalking involving serious alarm or distress, in connection with an investigation into the alleged stalking of Madeleine McCann’s family. (Credit: Getty)
Wandelt also allegedly sent Amelie photos of them both to show their likeness.

“She had clearly edited and altered the pictures to make me look more like her, which was quite disturbing,” Amelie alleged.

Madeleine’s disappearance remains unsolved, and while Amelie and Sean have previously remained away from the public eye, Amelie was photographed at a memorial event in May 2023, marking 16 years since her sister’s abduction.

Speaking publicly for the first time, she said: “It’s nice that everyone is here together, but it’s a sad occasion.”