Woman Who Claimed to Be Madeleine McCann Found Guilty of Harassment

Julia Wandelt, 24, who claimed to be Madeleine McCann, has been found guilty of harassing the McCann family. The court recognized that her behavior caused significant mental distress to the parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and their children.

Wandelt, born three years after Madeleine's disappearance, had claimed she was kidnapped and raised by non-biological parents. During the trial, it was revealed that she had psychological problems and had been abused by a relative who resembled a suspect sketch in the Madeleine case.

Despite police warnings, Wandelt approached the McCann family, appeared at their home, and sent letters and messages, persistently requesting a DNA test. On one day, she sent over 60 messages to Kate McCann.

The McCann family testified about the psychological distress they suffered. Wandelt denied acting for money or fame. A DNA test proved that she is not Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal.