Julia Wandelt testified at Leicester Crown Court that she continues questioning her identity after claiming to be missing Madeleine McCann. The 24-year-old from Lubin in south-west Poland told jurors she had limited childhood memories and "could only remember abuse" following experiences with her step-grandfather.
Wandelt denied claiming to be Madeleine for attention or financial gain. She told the court: "I could not be able to heal from my trauma if I never fully know who I am."
Prosecutors allege Wandelt promoted the false claim that she was Madeleine, who disappeared aged three during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007, while stalking Kate and Gerry McCann. The alleged stalking involved sending emails, making phone calls and appearing at their address.
Psychologist sparked questions
Wandelt described how an interaction with a psychologist made her reflect on her life. She told jurors: "She made me reflect on my life more and think about everything that happened. I realised I only remember abuse. My friends, they could remember things."
She said she started questioning her parents about blood groups and whether anything else had happened to her. Wandelt told the court she had some memories starting at age eight or nine and noted her parents had different appearances from her, with dark hair and eyes.
When asked by her barrister Tom Price KC if she still questions her identity, Wandelt replied: "Yes, I do." She said she repeatedly asked her parents for a DNA test but they refused, adding: "It made me feel a bit surprised because I didn't expect them to refuse, especially because at that time I still dealt with a lot of emotional problems."
Abuse trauma and similarities
Wandelt told the court she self-harmed and attempted suicide after being abused as a child by her step-grandfather. She said there had been criminal proceedings against him, adding: "I was told at the end he admitted his guilt but my grandmother still did not believe me."
The defendant described finding similarities between herself and Madeleine, including a sketch of a suspect that looked "quite similar to the person who abused me" and shared the same surname. She also mentioned having a similar mark on her eye to Madeleine.
Hospital revelation
Wandelt testified that while hospitalised in summer 2022, her father told her the man who abused her had "been involved in kidnapping," prompting her to search missing person databases. When asked if she found anyone who matched her, she explained: "There were not actually a lot of people my age or around my age, but that is how I found Madeleine."
Asked about her motivation, Wandelt said: "I just wanted to find out who I am. I could not be able to heal from my trauma if I never fully know who I am, what happened to me and if my parents are my parents." She told the court she did not know how significant the Madeleine McCann case was before reading about it.
When confirming her name at the trial's start, Wandelt said: "Yes, according to court documents my full name is Julia Wandelt." She and co-defendant Karen Spragg, 61, of Cardiff, both deny one count of stalking between June 2022 and February this year. The trial continues at Leicester Crown Court.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
