An individual who identified herself as Madeleine McCann has made an appearance in court facing four charges of stalking the family of the missing girl. Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wandelt, was apprehended at Bristol Airport on Wednesday under suspicion of engaging in stalking activities that caused serious alarm and distress. Originally from Poland, Ms. Wandel was remanded into custody following her appearance at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Friday. She is scheduled to formally respond to the charges at the city’s crown court on 7th of April.
According to court documents, the 23-year-old is accused of sending messages, leaving voicemails, and showing up at the family residence between the dates of 3rd January 2024 and 15th February 2025. Allegations suggest that Ms. Wandel visited the McCanns’ home in Leicestershire on two occasions – 2nd May and 7th December – in addition to sending WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as Instagram messages to Madeleine’s siblings. The documents further indicate that her behavior had a significant negative impact on the family’s day-to-day lives, knowing or should have known that her actions would cause distress or alarm.
The disappearance of Madeleine McCann, which occurred when she was just three years old in Portugal in 2007, remains one of the most extensively covered missing child cases in history, and the case remains unsolved. Prosecutor Ravinder Daroch informed the court that Ms. Wandel had been allegedly making persistent contact with the McCann family since 2022, with the frequency of her communications escalating and becoming increasingly alarming as she purportedly attempted to convince the McCanns that she was their missing daughter.
Additionally, a 60-year-old woman from Wales who was arrested alongside Ms. Wandel on suspicion of stalking has been released on bail, as confirmed by Leicestershire Police.
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