Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Woman Who Claimed To Be Madeleine McCann Is Convicted of Harassing the McCann Family

Police DNA testing this year excluded any biological link, discrediting the identity claim at the center of the case.

Overview

  • Leicester Crown Court sentenced Julia Wandelt, 24, to six months in custody, counted as time served, and ordered her deported to Poland with a ban on returning to Leicestershire.
  • She was acquitted of a separate stalking charge following a four‑week trial.
  • The court found she waged a persistent campaign from June 2022 to February 2025 through messages, calls, social‑media activity and an in‑person visit to the McCanns’ home.
  • British police said DNA testing this year ruled out any biological link between Wandelt and Madeleine McCann.
  • Reports about co‑defendant Karen Spragg conflict, with some outlets stating she was acquitted and others reporting a conviction for complicity.