A trial is underway involving two women accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s family. The court heard that Julia Wandelt and Karen Spragg reportedly talked about taking rubbish from the family’s home to obtain DNA samples. Wandelt, 24, from Poland, even turned up at the McCann household claiming to be Madeleine, leaving a letter signed as such. Both women deny causing serious distress to the McCanns between June 2022 and February 2023.
The jury was told that the McCann family experienced harassment as Wandelt and Spragg allegedly waited outside their home and tried to force interactions. A letter from Wandelt to the family expressed regret for any distress, yet it also contained bold claims and requests for a DNA test, intensifying the situation.
The court heard about the duo’s persistent attempts to contact the McCanns, including Wandelt’s aim to confront them at an annual vigil. After finding out the family wasn’t present, she settled for leaving notes with connections close to the family. Despite Wandelt’s apparent conviction in her identity claims, police previously informed her explicitly that she was not Madeleine McCann.
Spragg, from Cardiff, was described as a devoted supporter of Wandelt’s story, and both were said to have considered scavenging the McCanns’ trash, although this plan wasn’t executed. The trial underscores the distress these actions brought to the family, with accusations that both women sought media attention and fueled existing conspiracy theories about Madeleine’s 2007 disappearance.
The trial is set to continue, with all eyes on how this unusual case will unfold.