A Polish woman who claimed to be missing Madeleine McCann has been found guilty of harassing the girl's parents. Julia Wandelt, 24, was convicted on Friday at Leicester Crown Court after a five-week trial. She was acquitted of stalking.
Wandelt confronted Kate and Gerry McCann at their home last December. On April 13 last year, she contacted Kate McCann more than 60 times with calls and messages.
In letters and messages, Wandelt addressed Kate McCann directly. She wrote «Dear Mum (Kate)» and signed off with «Lots of love, Madeleine». In other messages she told Mrs McCann: «you are my real mother».
Kate McCann gave evidence against Wandelt, describing the distress caused by her behavior. In recordings of their interaction outside the McCanns' home, Mrs McCann told Wandelt: «You're causing us a lot of distress.» Gerry McCann said he and his wife still hope Madeleine may be alive and expressed concern that Wandelt's actions were hampering the ongoing inquiry.
Wandelt's claims
Wandelt told the jury she believed the McCanns were being «misled» by police and that she «had no other choice» but to seek a DNA test. She claimed hypnosis sessions had led her to believe she had been abducted and lived with the McCanns. Wandelt also alleged the McCanns were involved in their daughter's disappearance and suggested the police investigation involved financial impropriety.
Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. Operation Grange, the ongoing police investigation into her disappearance, has cost more than £13 million.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
