A woman who previously claimed to be the missing Madeleine McCann has been arrested on charges of stalking the McCann family. Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wendell, was taken into custody at an airport in Bristol on Wednesday. She faces accusations of persistently contacting and visiting the family, which has caused them significant distress.
Reports indicate that Wandel has been charged with stalking four members of the McCann family, including parents Gerry and Kate McCann, as well as their twin children, Sean and Amelie. The alleged harassment occurred over the course of 2024 and into 2025, during which she reportedly made numerous phone calls, left voicemails, sent messages via WhatsApp and Instagram, and even delivered a letter. Additionally, she is accused of visiting the McCann home in the United Kingdom on two occasions without permission, in May and December of the previous year.
The charges highlight the impact of her actions, which the court documents claim had a "substantial adverse effect" on the family. The McCanns have been in the public eye since their daughter vanished in May 2007 while on vacation in Portugal, leading to an extensive international search and media coverage.
Wandel gained attention in 2023 when she began sharing her belief on social media that she might be McCann, who disappeared at the age of three. She presented various pieces of "evidence" to support her claim, including assertions of physical similarities, such as a rare eye condition known as coloboma that McCann had. However, a DNA test conducted two months later confirmed that Wandel was not related to the McCann family, revealing her Polish heritage with no ties to the UK.
The situation escalated to a point where Polish authorities publicly rejected Wandel’s claims, and her own parents expressed their devastation over her actions and the attention it brought. They indicated that she had previously received psychological treatment but had stopped seeking help.
Wandel appeared in court on Friday, where she did not enter a plea. She is scheduled for a full plea hearing on April 7 and will remain in custody until then. Alongside her arrest, a second woman, a 60-year-old from Wales, was also detained on suspicion of stalking but has since been released on bail.
The McCann case continues to draw significant media interest, with ongoing investigations involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The family remains hopeful for closure as they navigate the challenges stemming from their daughter’s long-standing disappearance.