Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann denies stalking missing girl's parents

A woman who claimed she was missing Madeleine McCann has pleaded not guilty to stalking the missing girl's heartbroken parents and siblings in an alleged two-and-a-half-year campaign. Polish national Julia Wandel appeared in the dock at Leicester Crown Court accused of causing serious alarm or distress to the McCann family between June 2022 and February 2025.

A court previously heard Wandel is accused of making calls, leaving voicemails, and sending a letter and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as sending Maddie's brother Sean and sister Amelie Instagram messages. Karen Spragg, of Caerau in Cardiff, is also alleged to have made calls, sent letters and attended the home address of Mr and Mrs McCann, but also denied the charge of stalking. Wandel, 23, from Lubin in south-west Poland, first claimed to be the missing girl on Instagram in 2023, but a DNA test confirmed she was of Polish heritage.

She spoke to confirm her name was Julia Wandel "according to documents" and to enter her not guilty plea during the hearing.

The defendant, who is also known as Julia Wandelt, is alleged to have attended the family home in Leicestershire on May 2 and December 7 last year according to a previous court appearance, and she was arrested at Bristol Airport in February.

She was remanded back into custody by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to appear in court in August to where it will be decided if she can be granted bail.

Spragg, 60, who stood in the dock beside Wandel, is charged with one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress.

She was granted bail with conditions not to contact Mr and Mrs McCann, their children and two family friends, not to enter Leicestershire unless attending court and to live and sleep at her home address.

Both women will appear at the same court for trial on October 2.

Madeleine McCann's disappearance while on a family holiday in Portugal's Algarve at the age of three in in 2007 is one of the most widely reported missing child cases in history and remains unsolved.

Madeleine's parents and siblings did not attend court today.