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Madeleine McCann's sister Amelie kept 'fake Maddie' Facebook messages secret for months
Amelie McCann has told a jury that there was a 'sound of desperation' in 'disturbing' messages sent to her by Julia Wandelt claiming to be her missing sister, Madeleine
Madeleine McCann’s sister has told a court that she didn't tell her family about "disturbing messages" she'd received from a woman claiming to be the missing youngster.
Amelie McCann had become aware of her family’s alleged stalker before she messaged her on social media. The court heard that Polish national, Julia Wandelt, 24 began sending messages to Amelie, claiming to be Madeleine, from a social media account called ‘Julia Julia’ from January 2024.
Asked why she waited until September 2024 to reveal Wandelt had been messaging her, Amelie said: “At first I did not really tell anyone about it because I wasn’t aware of the extent of her messaging and her contact with my family, so I wouldn’t have thought it was a criminal offence or considered it stalking."
She added: “I thought it was something I could deal with myself.I did not want to add any additional stress to my parents or family. I left it to myself till later. I was used to getting messages from people about the case - not claiming to be Madeleine or anything - so I was used to ignoring messages.”
Prosecutor Nadia Silver asked Miss McCann: “At that time were you aware of contact with any other members of your family?” Miss McCann replied: “No.”
Amelie told the jury that there was a “sound of desperation” in messages sent to her by Julia. Asked about how the message made her feel, she said: “It was quite distressing to see the messages. As you can see, it’s a long message and there’s a sound of desperation in her message which puts quite a lot of stress on me.
“I felt uncomfortable about it because I don’t want to receive messages like that.”
The court heard that in the first message to Amelie in January 2024, Wandelt said she had “so many flashbacks”, adding: “I know so many things. I don’t know if this is the real account for Amelie McCann but I can tell you my memories.”
Questioned about how she felt about Wandelt’s messages about Madeleine’s childhood, Miss McCann said: “It is quite disturbing that she’s coming up with these supposed memories even though she’s not Madeleine.”
Amelie said it was “creepy” and that it made her feel uncomfortable. Prosecutor Nadia Silver said the messages from Wandelt included requests for a DNA test and alleged memories from their childhood such as playing Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses with other children.
Asked how the messages made her feel, Miss McCann said: “It makes me feel quite uncomfortable because it is quite creepy she is giving those details and trying to play with my emotions.”
Asked if she was persuaded by the messages to do a DNA test, Amelie said: “No, I did not find it persuasive. But it does make you feel quite guilty because she’s desperate to connect and reach out to me.
“It makes me feel guilty for not listening to her request but at the same time, I know deep down it was not Madeleine so I did not feel persuaded by her.”
The court heard that in one message Wandelt said she was writing “with hope” that Amelie could make Kate and Gerry McCann “believe there’s still hope”, adding: “I think they gave up.”
Amelie added: “It’s clear that she thinks she’s Madeleine and she can’t understand why no one is helping her to kind of get proof or whatever and she thinks that I would have told my parents to listen to her.”
Wandelt is accused of stalking the family, causing serious alarm and distress by sending emails and making phone calls 60 times in a single day, and even showing up at their home asking them to take a DNA test.
Jurors at Leicester Crown Court previously heard there was “unequivocal scientific evidence” that Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, is not related to the McCanns, despite her claiming to have memories of the girl’s childhood and disappearance.
Madeleine's mum, Kate, previously told the court she had a “little niggle” about doing a DNA test because Wandelt has been “so incessant” and part of her brain was "saying what if?"
She said: “I almost wanted a DNA test to put it to bed… from the photographs.. I knew it wasn’t her.”
Polish national Julia Wandelt, 24 and 61-year-old Karen Spragg both deny stalking Kate and Gerry McCann causing serious alarm or distress between June 2022 and February this year.
Madeleine’s disappearance from Portugal’s Algarve in 2007 remains unsolved.
The trial continues.
Daily Star Sunday
Amelie McCann has told a jury that there was a 'sound of desperation' in 'disturbing' messages sent to her by Julia Wandelt claiming to be her missing sister, Madeleine
Madeleine McCann’s sister has told a court that she didn't tell her family about "disturbing messages" she'd received from a woman claiming to be the missing youngster.
Amelie McCann had become aware of her family’s alleged stalker before she messaged her on social media. The court heard that Polish national, Julia Wandelt, 24 began sending messages to Amelie, claiming to be Madeleine, from a social media account called ‘Julia Julia’ from January 2024.
Asked why she waited until September 2024 to reveal Wandelt had been messaging her, Amelie said: “At first I did not really tell anyone about it because I wasn’t aware of the extent of her messaging and her contact with my family, so I wouldn’t have thought it was a criminal offence or considered it stalking."
She added: “I thought it was something I could deal with myself.I did not want to add any additional stress to my parents or family. I left it to myself till later. I was used to getting messages from people about the case - not claiming to be Madeleine or anything - so I was used to ignoring messages.”
Prosecutor Nadia Silver asked Miss McCann: “At that time were you aware of contact with any other members of your family?” Miss McCann replied: “No.”
Amelie told the jury that there was a “sound of desperation” in messages sent to her by Julia. Asked about how the message made her feel, she said: “It was quite distressing to see the messages. As you can see, it’s a long message and there’s a sound of desperation in her message which puts quite a lot of stress on me.
“I felt uncomfortable about it because I don’t want to receive messages like that.”
The court heard that in the first message to Amelie in January 2024, Wandelt said she had “so many flashbacks”, adding: “I know so many things. I don’t know if this is the real account for Amelie McCann but I can tell you my memories.”
Questioned about how she felt about Wandelt’s messages about Madeleine’s childhood, Miss McCann said: “It is quite disturbing that she’s coming up with these supposed memories even though she’s not Madeleine.”
Amelie said it was “creepy” and that it made her feel uncomfortable. Prosecutor Nadia Silver said the messages from Wandelt included requests for a DNA test and alleged memories from their childhood such as playing Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses with other children.
Asked how the messages made her feel, Miss McCann said: “It makes me feel quite uncomfortable because it is quite creepy she is giving those details and trying to play with my emotions.”
Asked if she was persuaded by the messages to do a DNA test, Amelie said: “No, I did not find it persuasive. But it does make you feel quite guilty because she’s desperate to connect and reach out to me.
“It makes me feel guilty for not listening to her request but at the same time, I know deep down it was not Madeleine so I did not feel persuaded by her.”
The court heard that in one message Wandelt said she was writing “with hope” that Amelie could make Kate and Gerry McCann “believe there’s still hope”, adding: “I think they gave up.”
Amelie added: “It’s clear that she thinks she’s Madeleine and she can’t understand why no one is helping her to kind of get proof or whatever and she thinks that I would have told my parents to listen to her.”
Wandelt is accused of stalking the family, causing serious alarm and distress by sending emails and making phone calls 60 times in a single day, and even showing up at their home asking them to take a DNA test.
Jurors at Leicester Crown Court previously heard there was “unequivocal scientific evidence” that Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, is not related to the McCanns, despite her claiming to have memories of the girl’s childhood and disappearance.
Madeleine's mum, Kate, previously told the court she had a “little niggle” about doing a DNA test because Wandelt has been “so incessant” and part of her brain was "saying what if?"
She said: “I almost wanted a DNA test to put it to bed… from the photographs.. I knew it wasn’t her.”
Polish national Julia Wandelt, 24 and 61-year-old Karen Spragg both deny stalking Kate and Gerry McCann causing serious alarm or distress between June 2022 and February this year.
Madeleine’s disappearance from Portugal’s Algarve in 2007 remains unsolved.
The trial continues.
Daily Star Sunday