Two women on trial for stalking the McCanns in Madeleine case

A 24 year old Polish woman and a 61 year old British woman have gone on trial at Leicester Crown Court accused of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February 2025, repeatedly contacting the couple and others connected to the 2007 disappearance of their daughter Madeleine and, on one occasion, attending the family home in Rothley, Leicestershire. Prosecutors say the contacts included phone calls, voicemails, letters, emails and social media messages in which the younger defendant, Julia Wandelt, claimed she might be Madeleine and demanded DNA testing. Both defendants deny the single charge of stalking.

Jurors were played a number of voicemail recordings and read messages said to have been sent by Wandelt. In one recording she is heard telling Mrs McCann, "You are my mother, it is science no one can deny it." In another she urged, "I know you probably think that Madeleine is dead, but she is not. What if there is a small chance that I’m her? What then?" The court heard that on October 9, 2024 Gerry McCann answered a call and told the caller she had the wrong number; the prosecution says Wandelt persisted and left further messages.