A recent court hearing has definitively debunked claims made by Julia Wandelt, a 24-year-old Polish national, that she is the missing British girl, Madeleine McCann. Police confirmed that a DNA test conducted on Wandelt conclusively proved she is not Madeleine, who disappeared from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007 at the age of three. This revelation came during Wandelt's trial, where she stands accused of a persistent campaign of harassment against Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and their adult children, Sean and Amelie.

Between June 2022 and February 2025, Wandelt allegedly bombarded the McCann family with hundreds of unsolicited calls, messages, voicemails, and letters. She even turned up at their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, demanding a DNA test, causing significant distress and fear to the family. Prosecutors described Wandelt's actions, alongside co-defendant Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, as a “well-planned campaign of harassment.” Spragg is accused of supporting and evolving Wandelt's “bogus claims with gusto.” Both Wandelt and Spragg deny the stalking charges.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, the senior investigating officer for Operation Grange – the Metropolitan Police's investigation into Madeleine's disappearance – provided evidence in court. Cranwell revealed that he initially resisted conducting a DNA test on Wandelt, going against established procedure. His concerns included setting a precedent that could lead to numerous individuals falsely claiming to be Madeleine, and the potential emotional damage to the McCann family by raising false hopes. He had already visually assessed Wandelt as not being Madeleine due to a lack of resemblance, notably her age (she is two years older than Madeleine would be) and differences in eye pigmentation; Madeleine had a distinctive coloboma of the iris on her right eye, which medical experts confirmed would not fade or move.

However, Cranwell made the difficult decision to proceed with a DNA test upon learning that Leicester police intended to arrest Wandelt on stalking charges. The sample was taken in February this year when Wandelt and Spragg were arrested at Bristol airport. Cranwell stated his primary motivation was to “prove or disprove” Wandelt's claims and “in the hope she may stop her behaviour towards the McCann family.” A comparison subsequently took place, and the results “conclusively proved that Julia Wandelt is not Madeleine McCann.”

On April 1, Cranwell and a colleague visited Wandelt in Peterborough prison to inform her of the DNA results. He told her unequivocally, “You are not Madeleine McCann.” Despite the scientific proof, Cranwell expressed skepticism that Wandelt would accept the findings, anticipating she might suggest the samples had been tampered with. During their conversation, Wandelt questioned, “Do you really want to find Madeleine?”, to which Cranwell confirmed they did.

The court heard harrowing details of the McCann family's ordeal, describing their interactions with Wandelt and Spragg as “creepy” and “deeply disturbing.” The defendants allegedly formulated “increasingly bizarre plans” to obtain Kate McCann's DNA, including rummaging through the McCanns' bins and taking forks from restaurants they had patronized. The family had also been shown photos of Wandelt by officers in February 2023 and were satisfied she was not Madeleine.

DCI Cranwell highlighted that Wandelt was not the first to make such claims; he recounted that 12 to 13 individuals had previously come forward asserting to be Madeleine. Operation Grange employs a rigorous “triage process” for such claims, primarily relying on visual comparisons, particularly Madeleine's unique eye pigmentation. While a woman recently sent in a DNA profile that was compared, the general policy was to avoid DNA testing unless there was a strong belief the person could be Madeleine, to protect the family from repeated emotional trauma. Operation Grange continues its work, albeit in a reduced capacity, collaborating with Portuguese and German authorities, including an ongoing investigation into an individual with the initials 'CB'. The trial against Wandelt and Spragg for stalking remains ongoing at Leicester Crown Court.