UK Woman Convicted of Harassing Madeleine McCann's Parents
A UK jury has found a Polish woman guilty of harassment but acquitted her of stalking the parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann.
LONDON: A UK jury on Friday convicted a Polish woman who had claimed to be Madeleine McCann — one of the world’s highest-profile missing persons — of harassing the girl’s parents, but acquitted her of stalking them.
Madeleine was just three years old when she vanished 18 years ago from the apartment where her family was vacationing on Portugal’s Algarve coast, triggering a massive global search to find her.
Jurors found Julia Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in Poland, guilty of harassment but cleared her of the more serious charge of stalking "involving serious alarm and distress" to Kate and Gerry McCann.
The McCann parents, both doctors, have borne the brunt of international attention ever since their daughter disappeared in 2007.
Nearly two decades on, the case remains unsolved.
Wandelt gasped and put her hands to her face when she heard the verdict.
The jury also cleared co-defendant Karen Spragg, from Cardiff, Wales, of the same counts after she was accused of helping Wandelt show up at the couple’s home and contacting them by phone and in messages.
Kate McCann spoke of her distress after Wandelt banged on the door of the family home and appeared at a vigil for Madeleine.
Meanwhile, younger sister Amelie recounted receiving "creepy" social media messages as Wandelt made repeated ignored requests for the McCann parents to take a DNA test.
Wandelt’s lawyer argued that she was confused about her parental background due to childhood abuse, including by her step-grandfather, who shared the suspect's surname in Madeleine’s disappearance.
She claimed to have limited childhood memories but included being with the McCann family among them.
However, prosecutors presented "unequivocal scientific evidence" showing Wandelt does not match Madeleine’s DNA profile and has no familial link to the McCanns.
They also accused both defendants of "tormenting" the McCanns.
Spragg was accused of aiding her by leaving messages for Kate McCann, sending emails, and confronting the couple on their driveway.
Her lawyer stated that Spragg’s sole purpose was to determine if Wandelt might be the missing Madeleine and described her as a "true friend" to her co-defendant.
The maximum sentence Wandelt can now face is six months custody, but she has been in custody since her arrest in February.
The McCann case returned to the spotlight in September after prime suspect Christian Brueckner was released from a German prison following completing a seven-year jail term for rape.
He has not been charged over Madeleine’s disappearance due to a lack of evidence, even though German prosecutors named him as their top suspect in 2020.
Madeleine was just three years old when she vanished 18 years ago from the apartment where her family was vacationing on Portugal’s Algarve coast, triggering a massive global search to find her.
Jurors found Julia Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in Poland, guilty of harassment but cleared her of the more serious charge of stalking "involving serious alarm and distress" to Kate and Gerry McCann.
The McCann parents, both doctors, have borne the brunt of international attention ever since their daughter disappeared in 2007.
Nearly two decades on, the case remains unsolved.
Wandelt gasped and put her hands to her face when she heard the verdict.
The jury also cleared co-defendant Karen Spragg, from Cardiff, Wales, of the same counts after she was accused of helping Wandelt show up at the couple’s home and contacting them by phone and in messages.
Kate McCann spoke of her distress after Wandelt banged on the door of the family home and appeared at a vigil for Madeleine.
Meanwhile, younger sister Amelie recounted receiving "creepy" social media messages as Wandelt made repeated ignored requests for the McCann parents to take a DNA test.
Wandelt’s lawyer argued that she was confused about her parental background due to childhood abuse, including by her step-grandfather, who shared the suspect's surname in Madeleine’s disappearance.
She claimed to have limited childhood memories but included being with the McCann family among them.
However, prosecutors presented "unequivocal scientific evidence" showing Wandelt does not match Madeleine’s DNA profile and has no familial link to the McCanns.
They also accused both defendants of "tormenting" the McCanns.
Spragg was accused of aiding her by leaving messages for Kate McCann, sending emails, and confronting the couple on their driveway.
Her lawyer stated that Spragg’s sole purpose was to determine if Wandelt might be the missing Madeleine and described her as a "true friend" to her co-defendant.
The maximum sentence Wandelt can now face is six months custody, but she has been in custody since her arrest in February.
The McCann case returned to the spotlight in September after prime suspect Christian Brueckner was released from a German prison following completing a seven-year jail term for rape.
He has not been charged over Madeleine’s disappearance due to a lack of evidence, even though German prosecutors named him as their top suspect in 2020.
