Madeleine McCann family ‘stalker’ in tears saying she’s still ’50/50′ on being missing girl
A Polish woman accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s parents told a court she is still ’50/50′ about whether she is the missing girl.
Julia Wandelt said she is still 50/50′ about whether she is Madeleine McCann(Image: help-for-julia-wandelt/gogetfunding)
A woman accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s family said she is still “50/50” about whether she is their missing daughter. Polish national Julia Wandelt, 24, has allegedly claimed to be the missing girl, who vanished on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.
The alleged stalker told jurors at Leicester Crown Court that she would “walk away” if she saw the full paperwork proving she was not Madeleine. Prosecutors alleged Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, peddled the myth she is Madeleine while stalking Kate and Gerry McCann by sending emails, making phone calls and turning up at their address.
During cross-examination on Wednesday, prosecutor Michael Duck KC asked Wandelt: “As we stand here, do you still entertain the belief that you could be Madeleine McCann?”
Wandelt told the court: “It’s neither yes nor no. Because it is very easy to provide me with the documentation, so if I am not her, and it really is negative, I would like to see the documentation. Now, I would say I’m 50/50. What’s the issue with providing the whole paperwork?”
Mr Duck asked again: “Do you, Julia Wandelt, believe you may still be Madeleine McCann?” Wandelt replied: “It will be neither yes nor no. It is not yes, and not no. I am in between.”
Courtsketch of Julia Wandelt(Image: PA)
Asked what would satisfy her, Wandelt raised her voice and tearfully told the jury: “An investigation into my disappearance, into what happened to me, why am I here?”
Mr Duck asked Wandelt: “If you had seen a negative DNA test result, would you have walked away?” Wandelt replied: “If I received the entire paperwork, yes, I would walk away.”
Mr Duck also asked Wandelt about a letter she addressed to Mrs McCann, which said “Dear Mum (Kate)” and was signed off “Madeleine”. In the letter, the jury heard, Wandelt wrote: “I’m so sorry for causing you so much distress.”
He asked: “That’s you apologising for distressing her, isn’t it?” Wandelt replied: “She said I was causing her distress, I didn’t apologise because I recognise it as distress.”
Kate and Gerry McCann (file photo)(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Asked whether her appearance at the McCanns’ home in December, 2024, was intimidating, Wandelt said: “No, I don’t think it’s intimidating. If I was looking for my daughter missing for 18 years, I would be OK speaking with the person saying they were my missing child.”
