SHOCK CLAIM ROCKS EUROPE — A Polish woman has stunned investigators after insisting she’s a 70% DNA match for missing girl Madeleine McCann.  Authorities are now racing to verify the results, while leaked reports suggest a mysterious third-party lab may have run the test in secret. Could this be the breakthrough that finally ends the 18-year mystery — or the start of an even darker twist?

‘I’m a 70% DNA match for Madeleine McCann’, Polish woman claims

A Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann said her DNA was an almost 70 per cent 'match' in messages to the missing girl's mother.

Julia Wandelt (pictured)told Kate McCann: 'You are my mother, it's science no one can deny it', a court heard on Monday. She added: 'I am not a scammer, I am your daughter'. Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in south-west Poland, is on trial accused of stalking Mrs McCann and husband Gerry between June 2022 and February 2025 along with her 'supporter' Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff.
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Julia Wandelt (pictured)told Kate McCann: ‘You are my mother, it’s science no one can deny it’, a court heard on Monday. She added: ‘I am not a scammer, I am your daughter’. Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in south-west Poland, is on trial accused of stalking Mrs McCann and husband Gerry between June 2022 and February 2025 along with her ‘supporter’ Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff.

Leicester Crown Court has heard that Wandelt sent dozens of text messages and left scores of voicemail messages on Mrs McCann's phone and the two women also turned up at the McCanns' home demanding a DNA test. Yesterday, jurors were played the voicemail messages left by Wandelt on Mrs McCann's phone over a period of several months in which she claimed Madeleine was not dead. They also heard she sent messages claiming her DNA was a 69.23 per cent match to samples from the 'crime scene' contained within the Portuguese police files into Madeleine's disappearance, which are published online.
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Leicester Crown Court has heard that Wandelt sent dozens of text messages and left scores of voicemail messages on Mrs McCann’s phone and the two women also turned up at the McCanns’ home demanding a DNA test. Yesterday, jurors were played the voicemail messages left by Wandelt on Mrs McCann’s phone over a period of several months in which she claimed Madeleine was not dead. They also heard she sent messages claiming her DNA was a 69.23 per cent match to samples from the ‘crime scene’ contained within the Portuguese police files into Madeleine’s disappearance, which are published online.

In the messages she urged Mrs McCann to agree to an 'official' DNA test to 'prove' she was her daughter. Wandelt said she would set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the test and explained away differences between her and Madeleine's appearance by saying she was 'ugly and fat because of medication I was given' jurors heard. In the voicemail messages, Wandelt speaks with a strong Polish accent and becomes emotional at times. She begs Mrs McCann for a DNA test, tells her she is her daughter and claims to remember trying to shout out 'mummy and daddy' on the night she was abducted. Jurors were also told that on one occasion, Wandelt sent a message every two seconds, with five messages sent in seven seconds to Mrs McCann's mobile.
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In the messages she urged Mrs McCann to agree to an ‘official’ DNA test to ‘prove’ she was her daughter. Wandelt said she would set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the test and explained away differences between her and Madeleine’s appearance by saying she was ‘ugly and fat because of medication I was given’ jurors heard. In the voicemail messages, Wandelt speaks with a strong Polish accent and becomes emotional at times. She begs Mrs McCann for a DNA test, tells her she is her daughter and claims to remember trying to shout out ‘mummy and daddy’ on the night she was abducted. Jurors were also told that on one occasion, Wandelt sent a message every two seconds, with five messages sent in seven seconds to Mrs McCann’s mobile.

In one distressing message, she claimed to have been [sexually assaulted] on May 12 last year - the day of Madeleine's birthday. Wandelt started sobbing loudly and left the dock when another message she sent to Mrs McCann about being 'abused' was read to the court. In the message she wrote: 'I was raped and molested underground I saw other children being abused so badly you can stop this torment you can help me.' She went on: 'If you don't want me to be depressed talk to me. I know science can't lie and I know I am your daughter.' In an earlier message she had said: 'I was trying to shout mummy and daddy I could not say anything I could not shout I could not do anything.'
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In one distressing message, she claimed to have been [sexually assaulted] on May 12 last year – the day of Madeleine’s birthday. Wandelt started sobbing loudly and left the dock when another message she sent to Mrs McCann about being ‘abused’ was read to the court. In the message she wrote: ‘I was raped and molested underground I saw other children being abused so badly you can stop this torment you can help me.’ She went on: ‘If you don’t want me to be depressed talk to me. I know science can’t lie and I know I am your daughter.’ In an earlier message she had said: ‘I was trying to shout mummy and daddy I could not say anything I could not shout I could not do anything.’

In another voicemail she asked Mrs McCann: 'What if I'm her? I know you probably think Madeleine's dead. Well she is not. I really believe I'm her. Help me. Don't think Madeleine is dead. This is a chance. Please, I beg you. The police don't want to help me, they don't want to help Madeleine. It's all corrupt. I promise you that I will prove who I am because I know you love Madeleine.' In another message, she said: 'You probably believe Madeleine is not alive anymore. What if I'm her? What if there's a small chance that I'm her?' The court previously heard that Wandelt called and messaged Kate McCann more than 60 times in a single day in April last year, including about her alleged memories of the missing girl's abduction. The court heard Wandelt said in a message to Mrs McCann: 'I cry when I listen to your voice or when I see you. 'You are mummy. You know it's me. You know I'm not crazy.'
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In another voicemail she asked Mrs McCann: ‘What if I’m her? I know you probably think Madeleine’s dead. Well she is not. I really believe I’m her. Help me. Don’t think Madeleine is dead. This is a chance. Please, I beg you. The police don’t want to help me, they don’t want to help Madeleine. It’s all corrupt. I promise you that I will prove who I am because I know you love Madeleine.’ In another message, she said: ‘You probably believe Madeleine is not alive anymore. What if I’m her? What if there’s a small chance that I’m her?’ The court previously heard that Wandelt called and messaged Kate McCann more than 60 times in a single day in April last year, including about her alleged memories of the missing girl’s abduction. The court heard Wandelt said in a message to Mrs McCann: ‘I cry when I listen to your voice or when I see you. ‘You are mummy. You know it’s me. You know I’m not crazy.’

In another message she described an 'example of what I can remember', about a barbecue when she was young, with other children, and she claimed she asked Mrs McCann whether she could get a ball. The message said: 'I cry when I hear your voice. I feel this connection, I don't know how to explain it.' She added: 'I always thought that you are innocent. I feel in my heart that you did not want this to happen. I know people judge you and they judge me too. I know you probably finished, closed, this chapter in your life, and I know you don't want to open this again probably, but I always want to hear your voice.' The jury heard Wandelt sent a message to Mrs McCann at 1am, saying: 'I don't understand why you don't want to do a DNA test.'
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In another message she described an ‘example of what I can remember’, about a barbecue when she was young, with other children, and she claimed she asked Mrs McCann whether she could get a ball. The message said: ‘I cry when I hear your voice. I feel this connection, I don’t know how to explain it.’ She added: ‘I always thought that you are innocent. I feel in my heart that you did not want this to happen. I know people judge you and they judge me too. I know you probably finished, closed, this chapter in your life, and I know you don’t want to open this again probably, but I always want to hear your voice.’ The jury heard Wandelt sent a message to Mrs McCann at 1am, saying: ‘I don’t understand why you don’t want to do a DNA test.’

On one occasion, Mr McCann answered his wife's phone and told Wandelt she had the wrong number. In a following voicemail, Wandelt said: 'I know it was you Gerry. You answered the call. Why is it so hard to answer the call and speak with me? 'I haven't done anything wrong. If you're looking for Madeleine, you should do a test with me.' Another message to Mrs McCann said: 'Hello I'm Julia I think I'm your daughter Madeleine. I have never lied¿ I beg you to stop blocking my number, please.' In a text message she said: 'I beg you you are my real mother give me a chance to prove it.' In a voicemail she said: 'I was raped on birthday 12 May 2023, it's Madeleine's birthday. I need you please. You are mum and know it is me'. She said she had contacted police in the UK, Portugal and Poland adding 'I don't know what else I can do'.
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On one occasion, Mr McCann answered his wife’s phone and told Wandelt she had the wrong number. In a following voicemail, Wandelt said: ‘I know it was you Gerry. You answered the call. Why is it so hard to answer the call and speak with me? ‘I haven’t done anything wrong. If you’re looking for Madeleine, you should do a test with me.’ Another message to Mrs McCann said: ‘Hello I’m Julia I think I’m your daughter Madeleine. I have never lied… I beg you to stop blocking my number, please.’ In a text message she said: ‘I beg you you are my real mother give me a chance to prove it.’ In a voicemail she said: ‘I was raped on birthday 12 May 2023, it’s Madeleine’s birthday. I need you please. You are mum and know it is me’. She said she had contacted police in the UK, Portugal and Poland adding ‘I don’t know what else I can do’.

Later, on September 29, she claimed she shared some DNA with Madeleine having apparently checked her profile against one of the Portuguese police files. 'It has really started to be serious,' she said. 'I know I am ugly and fat but it's because of medication I was given,' she went on. The court heard Spragg sent an email to Mrs McCann in which she too claimed Wandelt's DNA was a match. She wrote: 'Julia is not crazy she is of sane mind. Julia has proof of this.'
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Later, on September 29, she claimed she shared some DNA with Madeleine having apparently checked her profile against one of the Portuguese police files. ‘It has really started to be serious,’ she said. ‘I know I am ugly and fat but it’s because of medication I was given,’ she went on. The court heard Spragg sent an email to Mrs McCann in which she too claimed Wandelt’s DNA was a match. She wrote: ‘Julia is not crazy she is of sane mind. Julia has proof of this.’

Later the court heard the two women planned to confront Mrs McCann again, with Wandelt suggesting they go to the hospital where she worked. She said in a message to Spragg: 'Can we meet at East Midlands and go to Leicester ¿go to hospital where she works? I just need to see her I need to make her look at me and talk to me and I need your help but if you don't want to I can understand.' Spragg replied: 'I can do Monday' to which Wandelt said: 'Ok sounds awesome'. They were arrested at Bristol airport in February. The trial continues.
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Later the court heard the two women planned to confront Mrs McCann again, with Wandelt suggesting they go to the hospital where she worked. She said in a message to Spragg: ‘Can we meet at East Midlands and go to Leicester …go to hospital where she works? I just need to see her I need to make her look at me and talk to me and I need your help but if you don’t want to I can understand.’ Spragg replied: ‘I can do Monday’ to which Wandelt said: ‘Ok sounds awesome’. They were arrested at Bristol airport in February. The trial continues.