A woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann has faced a Leicester court over charges of stalking the family of the missing girl. Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wandelt, was taken into custody at Bristol Airport on Wednesday, under suspicion of engaging in behavior that caused serious alarm and distress to the McCann family.
Details of the allegations
The 23-year-old, originally from Poland, was remanded in custody following her appearance at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Friday. She is scheduled to enter a plea at the crown court on April 7. According to court documents, Wandel is charged with multiple incidents of harassment between January 3, 2024, and February 15, 2025.
Specifically, it is alleged that she sent numerous messages, left voicemails, and even visited the McCann family home on two occasions—May 2 and December 7. Additionally, she reportedly contacted Kate and Gerry McCann through WhatsApp and sent Instagram messages to Madeleine’s siblings. These actions are said to have had a “substantial adverse effect” on the family’s daily life, despite her awareness that her conduct was likely to cause them distress.
The enduring mystery of Madeleine McCann
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance at the tender age of three in Portugal in 2007 is one of the most extensively covered missing child cases globally and remains unresolved. In a related development, a 60-year-old woman from Wales, who was arrested alongside Wandel under similar stalking suspicions, has since been released on bail, according to Leicestershire Police.
“The conduct had a substantial adverse effect on the family’s day-to-day activities when you knew or ought to have known that your course of conduct would cause alarm or distress.”