Confidential DNA Analysis Verified Suspected Stalker Was Not Madeleine McCann, States Officer

An alleged stalker who asserted to be the missing girl was eliminated after a covert DNA test proved conclusively she was not the long-lost child, authorities disclosed in court.

Stalking Allegations Towards McCann Family

Julia Wandelt, aged 24, faces charges for a stalking campaign against the family of Madeleine, who went missing from a holiday destination in Portugal in 2007 when she was three.

The Polish national overwhelmed 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 turned up at their home requesting a DNA test, Leicester crown court previously heard.

Official Statements

Providing testimony on Tuesday, the lead detective on Operation Grange, said he had gone against procedure to test Wandelt “in the hope she may stop her conduct towards the McCann family”.

The senior officer said over a dozen persons had previously claimed to be Madeleine McCann but that: “We would not take DNA only if convinced that person was Madeleine because I did not want setting a precedent.

“If it was revealed in the media I had taken DNA from someone most likely not to be Madeleine, I was worried I would have had numerous individuals coming forward saying ‘I’m Madeleine’.

“I truly possess major concerns about contacting the family to say I aim to take DNA from an individual – that could have raised their hopes. It could have been highly distressing and challenging for the family.”

Genetic Testing

He said the police had previously assessed Wandelt not to be Madeleine due to no physical similarity and that she was older by two years than Madeleine. But, he said, after discovering Leicester police planned to arrest Wandelt on criminal accusations, he “made the decision that the DNA would be taken upon arrest”.

He declared: “Testing was conducted. It absolutely confirmed that Julia Wandelt is definitely not Madeleine McCann.”

Jury Hearings

The court heard that in April this year, the officer visited Wandelt while detained and informed her that her DNA had been compared to Madeleine’s and that the genetic markers did not match. The jury heard he told Wandelt while speaking with her: “You are not Madeleine McCann.”

The court heard that while they spoke, Wandelt inquired: “Do you sincerely wish to find Madeleine?”, and the detective told the jury he answered: “Yes.”

He said even with the results, he believed Wandelt “could allege we have interfered with the sample”, remarking: “There was a possibility she would refuse to acknowledge she is not Madeleine notwithstanding scientific proof.”

Psychological Toll

Earlier in the trial, testimony revealed how the relatives were left frightened and upset by their “creepy” and “profoundly unsettling” interactions with Wandelt and the other accused Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, as both defendants attempted to insist on a DNA test.

Jurors heard how both women made “increasingly bizarre plans” to obtain Kate McCann’s DNA, which included rummaging in the McCanns’ bins and stealing utensils from restaurants that they had eaten in.

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