The young woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann, the British girl who disappeared in 2007, found guilty of harassing her parents.

Julia Wandelt, a 24-year-old Polish woman, was found guilty of harassing the parents of Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in 2007, but was acquitted of the charge of persistent stalking. Between June 2022 and February 2025, Wandelt repeatedly contacted the McCann family, sending letters and making phone calls, claiming to be their daughter. Although born after Madeleine's disappearance, she claimed that she was kidnapped and raised by another family.

During the trial, the McCann family described the emotional impact of the harassment, and Wandelt stated that she has memories of her childhood with the McCann family. She was arrested after a DNA test confirmed that she is not Madeleine. The judge noted that Wandelt had already been in preventive detention longer than the maximum sentence for harassment. Her co-defendant, Karen Spragg, was acquitted of similar charges.