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An accused stalker who insisted to be Madeleine McCann was excluded after a secret DNA test established beyond doubt she was not Madeleine McCann, authorities disclosed in court.

Harassment Campaign Against McCann Family

Julia Wandelt, 24, is alleged to have conducted a campaign of harassment against the relatives of Madeleine, who disappeared from Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007 at the age of three.

The woman from Poland overwhelmed Kate and Gerry McCann and their adult children, Sean and Amelie, with numerous phone calls, messages, voicemails and letters from 2022 until recently, and visited their home demanding a DNA test, Leicester crown court previously heard.

Official Statements

Providing testimony on Tuesday, the senior investigating officer on Madeleine's disappearance, explained he had deviated from protocol to test Wandelt “in the hope she may stop her behavior towards the McCann family”.

The senior officer said thirteen individuals had previously claimed to be the missing girl but that: “We would not take DNA without strong belief that person was Madeleine because I wished to avoid setting a precedent.

“If it got out in the media I had taken DNA off an individual most likely not to be Madeleine, I was worried I would have had many persons coming forward saying ‘I’m Madeleine’.

“I sincerely hold major concerns about reaching out to the family to say I intend to take DNA from an individual – that could have built up their expectations. It could have been quite emotionally damaging and hard for the family.”

DNA Comparison

He said investigators had previously assessed Wandelt not to be Madeleine due to a lack of resemblance and that she was not the same age than Madeleine. But, he said, after discovering Leicester police intended to detain Wandelt on criminal accusations, he “made the decision that the DNA would be taken when she was apprehended”.

He declared: “A comparison took place. It conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”

Legal Testimony

The court heard that in April this year, the officer met with Wandelt while detained and informed her that her DNA had been matched against Madeleine’s and that the profiles did not match. Jurors were told he told Wandelt at that meeting: “You are not Madeleine McCann.”

Testimony indicated that while they spoke, Wandelt said: “Do you truly desire to find Madeleine?”, and the officer told the jury he replied: “Yes.”

He said even with the results, he believed Wandelt “would suggest we have tampered with the sample”, remarking: “There was a possibility she would refuse to acknowledge she isn't Madeleine despite being given scientific proof.”

Emotional Distress

During previous hearings, jurors learned how the family were left frightened and distressed by their “disturbing” and “extremely troubling” interactions with Wandelt and the other accused Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, as both defendants attempted to insist on a DNA test.

Jurors heard how the defendants made “increasingly bizarre plans” to collect Kate McCann’s DNA, which included rummaging in the McCanns’ bins and taking forks from restaurants that the family visited.

The accused women both refute one count of stalking. The case remains active.