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An alleged stalker who asserted to be Madeleine McCann was eliminated after a confidential DNA test definitively confirmed she was not the missing girl, police have revealed in court.

Targeted Behavior Towards McCann Family

Julia Wandelt, twenty-four, faces charges for a stalking campaign against the parents of Madeleine, who vanished from a holiday destination in Portugal in 2007 at the age of three.

The woman from Poland bombarded Kate and Gerry McCann and their grown-up kids, Sean and Amelie, with countless communications, messages, voicemails and letters between 2022 and earlier this year, and appeared at their home insisting on a DNA test, Leicester crown court previously heard.

Investigation Details

Testifying on Tuesday, the chief investigator on Madeleine's disappearance, explained he had gone against procedure to test Wandelt “in the hope she may stop her behavior towards the McCann family”.

The senior officer said thirteen individuals had earlier asserted 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 became known in the media I had taken DNA off an individual probably not to be Madeleine, I was anxious I would have had numerous individuals coming forward saying ‘I’m Madeleine’.

“I genuinely have major concerns about reaching out to the family to say I aim to take DNA from an individual – that could have built up their expectations. It could have been very traumatic and hard for the family.”

Forensic Analysis

He said investigators had earlier determined Wandelt not to be Madeleine on account of a lack of resemblance and that she was two years older than the missing girl. But, he said, after finding out Leicester police were going to take into custody Wandelt on harassment allegations, he “determined that the DNA would be taken during detention”.

He stated: “Testing was conducted. It definitively established that Julia Wandelt cannot be Madeleine McCann.”

Legal Testimony

Proceedings revealed that in April this year, Cranwell met with Wandelt in custody and informed her that her DNA had been matched against Madeleine’s and that the genetic markers did not match. The court learned he told Wandelt at that meeting: “You are not Madeleine McCann.”

Evidence showed that throughout their discussion, Wandelt asked: “Do you sincerely wish to find Madeleine?”, and the officer told the jury he answered: “Yes.”

He said notwithstanding the evidence, he believed Wandelt “would suggest we have tampered with the sample”, adding: “There was a possibility she would refuse to acknowledge she cannot be Madeleine even when provided with scientific proof.”

Psychological Toll

In prior court sessions, jurors learned how the relatives were left terrified and upset by their “disturbing” and “extremely troubling” interactions with Wandelt and the other accused Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, as the pair attempted to demand a DNA test.

Jurors heard how the pair made progressively odd plans” to acquire Kate McCann’s DNA, which included searching the McCanns’ bins and removing cutlery from restaurants that the McCanns dined at.

Both defendants both contest one count of stalking. The trial continues.