'Devastated' family of woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann say they have proof of her real identity

24 February 2023, 12:04 | Updated: 24 February 2023, 12:39

The family of a woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann have said they are “devastated”.

Julia Wandelt, 21, has gone viral after claiming to be Madeleine, who vanished on a family holiday to Portugal in May 2007.

Now, Julia's family in Poland have spoken out to say they have proof that she is not who she believes she is.

In a statement released via Polish missing persons organisation Missing Years Ago they said: "For us as a family it is obvious that Julia is our daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and step niece. We have memories, we have pictures.

"Julia also has these photos, because she took them from the family home with the birth certificate, as well as numerous hospital discharges.

"We always tried to understand all situations that happened with Julia. Numerous therapies, medicines, psychologists and psychiatrists - Julia had it all guaranteed. She wasn't left alone.

"Threats to our address from Julia, her lies and manipulations, activity on the internet. We've seen it all and we've tried to prevent it, to explain, we've asked her to stop.

"Julia once wanted to be a singer, a model. She always wanted to be popular. What's happening now she got one million followers.

"We're afraid Julia will carry the inevitable. The internet won't forget, and it's obvious that Julia isn't Maddie."

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The 21-year-old says she doesn’t remember large parts of her childhood but that she was abused by a German paedophile who was once a suspect in Maddie’s disappearance.

Wandelt has created an account on Instagram named @iammadeleinemcann to share her claims.

She also claims that Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann had asked her to take a DNA test.

Madeleine, then three, vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007.

"We are devastated at this current situation."