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Family of Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann won’t do DNA test

Polish woman Julia Wendelt claims she may be missing British girl Madeleine McCann.
Polish woman Julia Wendelt claims she may be missing British girl Madeleine McCann. Photo by Julia Wendelt /Instagram

The family of a Polish woman who claims she could be missing British girl Madeleine McCann will not allow their daughter to take a DNA test to rule out the possibility of a genetic match.

Julia Wandelt, who also goes by Julia Wendell and Julia Faustyna, went viral earlier this week after creating an Instagram account suggesting that she may be Maddie, who disappeared in 2007 while on vacation in Portugal with her family.

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Wandelt has shared images comparing photos of her younger self to those of the missing Maddie.

Wandelt is being represented by Dr. Fia Johansson, a psychologist, medium and private detective. Johansson is trying to persuade her family to provide a DNA test.

“We want to be very respectful to the McCann family, and respect the privacy of them and their kids while we don’t know exactly who Julia is,” Johansson told the U.K. Sun.

“My feeling is that we need to force the mother or a member of Julia’s family to take the DNA test rather than disrupt the peace of Kate and Gerry (McCann), which is not necessary.

“If a current family member will take a DNA test we could solve this. But they are refusing to.”

Wandelt claims two pieces of physical evidence, a freckle on her leg and a speck in her eye, are in the same places as Maddie. She also says that she ­looks similar to parents Kate and Gerry.

A few months ago, Wandelt said she wondered if she was Maddie after hearing “something” from her grandmother.

Missing British tot Maddie McCann, left, and Julia Wandelt, who claims she might be Maddie.
Missing British tot Maddie McCann, left, and Julia Wandelt, who claims she might be Maddie.

Meanwhile, police in Poland have ruled out the possibility that Julia is the missing girl, even though their investigation is not yet complete.

However, Wandelt’s claims may be taking a toll on the McCann family.

“It causes unnecessary pain for Kate and Gerry,” a source told the U.K. Sun. “So many false claims have been made over the years and they don’t need any more.”

  1. This undated handout photograph released by the Metropolitan Police in London on June 3, 2020, shows Madeleine McCann who disappeared in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007.

    Maddie McCann detective on woman’s claim: ‘I don’t think it’s her’

  2. A handout picture made available to Reuters on July 16, 2020 from the Carabinieri military police shows a man identified as Christian Brueckner, at the time when he was arrested in 2018, under an international warrant for drug trafficking and other crimes.

    New arrest warrant issued for Madeleine McCann suspect in other cases

  3. Maddie McCann was just 3 when she disappeared.

    Prime suspect in Maddie McCann case charged with new sex crimes