A court has heard that a DNA test “conclusively proved” that a woman claiming to be missing British child Madeleine McCann was not related to the McCann family....Click to Read More >>➤
The woman, Julia Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in Poland, is standing trial alongside Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, for allegedly stalking Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann. Both defendants appeared before Leicester Crown Court on charges of causing serious alarm and distress through persistent harassment.
Wandelt gained international attention in 2022 after claiming on social media that she was the long-missing child who vanished from a holiday resort in Portugal in 2007, aged three. Her claims reignited widespread speculation about the case, one of the world’s most high-profile missing child investigations.
According to court testimony, police took Wandelt’s DNA following her arrest in February 2025. The results, confirmed in April while she was held at Peterborough Prison, ruled out any biological connection to the McCanns.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cramwell, who leads Operation Grange—the Metropolitan Police’s long-running investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance—said he ordered the DNA testing “in the hope that it may stop her behaviour towards the McCann family.”
He told the court: “It conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”
Despite this, Wandelt reportedly continued contacting the McCanns and posting about the case online. Detective Sergeant Roger Bearn, who serves as the family liaison officer, said the McCanns had been “bombarded” with messages and calls after media coverage of Wandelt’s claims gained traction.
In one message, Wandelt demanded a DNA test directly from the McCanns and even turned up at their home in Leicestershire, the court heard.
The second defendant, Karen Spragg, is accused of encouraging Wandelt’s actions and spreading conspiracy theories that alleged a “cover-up” in the original investigation. Prosecutor Michael Duck KC said Spragg befriended Wandelt online and later travelled with her to confront the McCanns in December 2024.
In a voice recording played to the court, Spragg could be heard urging Kate McCann to “take [Julia] seriously” and suggesting that “maybe Operation Grange is in on it.”
A crime report was filed after both women allegedly appeared at the McCanns’ home in December. Police later arrested Wandelt in February 2025 after she flew into Bristol Airport, with Spragg detained shortly afterward in a nearby car park.
The court also heard that the McCanns had previously confirmed through their liaison officer that they were “confident” the woman in photographs circulated online was not their daughter.
Operation Grange, which has run for over 15 years, continues to investigate Madeleine’s disappearance, though no conclusive leads have been found.
The trial of Wandelt and Spragg continues at Leicester Crown Court. ...Click to Read More >>➤
