Kate McCann has revealed the moment that she knew she had to press charges against Julia Wandelt, the woman claiming to be her missing daughter, Madeleine.
Wandelt, a 23-year-old woman from Lubin, Poland, gained widespread attention by claiming to be the missing Madeleine McCann.
Her current trial, which began at Leicester Crown Court, centers around Wandelt’s alleged two-and-a-half-year campaign of harassment against the McCann family, causing them severe distress.
The case has taken an emotional turn as Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents, testified about the ongoing harassment and the impact it has had on their family.
The Harassment Campaign: Messages, Visits, and Disturbing Claims
The court heard how Wandelt initiated her campaign by first emailing Gerry McCann through the Find Madeleine campaign website in June 2022, stating: “Hello, I’m writing to you because I think I’m Madeleine McCann.”
Gerry McCann testified that he first became aware of Wandelt through a family liaison officer, but it wasn’t long before Wandelt began bombarding him and Kate with messages.
He explained that his wife received multiple messages on her phone from Wandelt, claiming to be Madeleine.
At one point, Gerry spoke directly with Wandelt, telling her: “You’re not Madeleine,” as reported by Metro.
“I made it clear these were unwanted calls,” Gerry added, visibly emotional.
However, the harassment didn’t stop there. Wandelt allegedly reached out to the McCanns' other children, Sean and Amelie, through social media.
Kate McCann later testified that she had ignored all approaches from Wandelt, but when she discovered that Wandelt had been contacting Amelie, it became “the final straw.”
Kate said, “It was the final straw for me. I discussed it with the police.”
Disturbing Visit to the McCanns’ Home
Wandelt and her co-defendant, Karen Spragg, 60, allegedly went to the McCanns' family home in Rothley, Leicestershire, on December 7, 2023.
Kate recalled the moment she encountered them, saying: “I was opening the boot to get something out and I heard someone say ‘Kate.’”
At first, Kate didn’t know who it was, but when she turned around and saw Wandelt, she was immediately distressed, per BBC News.
“She called me mom, I think, she was asking for a DNA test, ‘why won’t you do a DNA test?’ and pleading with me,” Kate explained.
“I got a fright anyway; when I realized who it was I felt quite distressed.”
Kate continued: “I told them to leave. I told them I was distressed.” She phoned Gerry, who confirmed he was equally upset. After managing to lock herself inside her home, Kate said: “I was just relieved to have missed them.”
Emotional Outburst in Court
The emotional toll of the case reached a peak when, after Kate finished her testimony, Wandelt broke down in tears and shouted: “Why are you doing this to me?”
Officers escorted her out of the dock as she continued to cry uncontrollably, visibly distressed by the proceedings.
Wandelt has pleaded not guilty to charges of stalking and causing alarm and distress. She denies any intent to harass the McCann family and claims her actions were driven by her belief that she was Madeleine McCann.