On October 8, 2025, the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann faced the latest in a long line of painful public ordeals: testifying in a stalking trial against a woman who claimed to be their daughter. The proceedings at Leicester Crown Court have thrown new light on the distress and disruption endured by Kate and Gerry McCann since Madeleine’s disappearance in 2007, as well as the far-reaching consequences of false claims and conspiracy theories that continue to swirl around the case.
Julia Wandelt, a 24-year-old Polish woman from Lubin, and her alleged supporter, Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff, stand accused of stalking the McCann family over a period spanning from June 2022 to February 2025. Both defendants deny the charges, but the evidence presented by the prosecution paints a picture of relentless pursuit and emotional turmoil for the McCanns.
According to multiple reports, including those from BBC and AFP, Wandelt’s campaign included bombarding the McCanns with emails, phone calls—sometimes as many as 60 in a single day—and even turning up at their family home in Rothley, Leicestershire. Prosecutor Michael Duck told the court that Wandelt left messages on Kate McCann’s mobile phone, pleading to be allowed to “prove I am not a liar” and repeatedly requesting a DNA test to establish her identity.
Kate McCann, giving evidence from behind a screen, described the toll these persistent communications took. “If I’m honest, because of the persistence of Julia’s behaviour, it did start to get to me,” she testified, as quoted by AFP. “I almost wanted a DNA test to put it to bed ... from the photographs... I knew it wasn’t her.” The photographs, she said, made it clear that Wandelt was not her missing daughter. “I can’t say what Madeleine looks like now, but if I saw a photo of her, I would recognise her,” Kate told the court, according to the PA news agency.
The emotional strain was compounded by Wandelt’s efforts to contact other members of the family. The court heard that she had attempted to reach Madeleine’s sister, Amelie, and even sent a letter to Kate McCann, signed with Madeleine’s name. When these attempts persisted despite clear requests to stop, the McCanns involved the police, leading to the arrest of Wandelt and Spragg.
Gerry McCann, also testifying from behind a curtain, described the impact in raw terms. “There were multiple times when I was present where Kate’s phone was going off continuously, one after another. She was obviously very distressed, irritated, irritable, struggling to concentrate. They were often from a no-caller ID, just ring and ring and ring, messages from WhatsApp saying she was Madeleine,” he recounted, as reported by the Mirror. On one occasion, he picked up the phone and told the caller, “You’re not Madeleine, please stop calling.”
The McCanns’ ordeal reached a new level when, in December 2024, Wandelt and Spragg arrived at their home unannounced. Kate McCann was taken by surprise in the dark, and the encounter left her shaken. “She called me mum, I think, she was asking for a DNA test, ‘why won’t you do a DNA test?’ and pleading with me,” Kate testified. “I got a fright anyway, when I realised who it was I felt quite distressed.” She described trying to close the door as Wandelt attempted to prevent her from doing so.
Despite the pressure, the McCanns refused to submit to a DNA test. Gerry McCann explained their reasoning in court: “It’s very clear. First of all, we did not believe she was Madeleine. Secondly, we had been reassured by the Metropolitan Police that following inquiries undertaken in Poland… she was definitely not Madeleine. Thirdly, it is not our responsibility to do a DNA test. That’s a matter for the investigator forces.” Prosecutors confirmed that “unequivocal scientific evidence” established Wandelt had no familial link to the McCanns. Notably, Wandelt had previously claimed to be two other missing girls, further undermining her assertions.
The McCanns have been at the center of global attention since Madeleine vanished at the age of three from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. The mystery of her disappearance has spawned years of investigation, intense media coverage, and a swirl of conspiracy theories—some of which, Gerry McCann noted, have accused the parents themselves of not wanting to find their daughter. “That’s detrimental to any existing investigation and obviously we have always put that (the inquiry) first,” he told the court, according to BBC.
Both parents spoke movingly about the impact on their surviving children, Sean and Amelie. “We had done our best to try to protect Sean and Amelie. Given what has happened to Madeleine, we try to keep them out of the media as much as possible. We know they want to be identified as Sean and Amelie McCann, and not missing Madeleine’s brother and sister. As a parent you want to try to protect your children,” Gerry said. He also highlighted the harm caused by online abuse: “We know social media can be damaging and there is nasty stuff online about us, so obviously we want to protect them from that.”
For the McCanns, the pain of not knowing what happened to Madeleine is compounded by the actions of those who exploit their tragedy. “When so many people claim to be our missing daughter, it inevitably pulls your heartstrings, but there is a wider effect that is more damaging,” Gerry McCann testified. He stressed that such false claims can undermine public confidence and distract from legitimate investigative efforts.
The trial has also revived public attention on the wider case. Last month, German prosecutors’ top suspect, Christian Brueckner, was released from a German prison after serving a sentence for rape. Although he was named as the main suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance in 2020, no charges have been brought against him, and the presumption of innocence remains. Scotland Yard continues to treat the case as a missing person investigation, and the McCanns have not given up hope that Madeleine might still be alive.
As the trial continues, the McCanns’ testimony serves as a sobering reminder of the lasting trauma endured by families of missing children—and the additional burdens imposed by those who seek to insert themselves into their grief. The search for Madeleine goes on, but so too does the struggle to shield her family from further harm.