Fake Madeleine McCann launches fresh fundraising drive in Poland after previous page cancelled amid child porn claims
25 April 2023, 12:57
The woman who claimed she was Madeleine McCann has launched a new fundraising bid after her previous page was cancelled.
Julia Wendell, 21, has started a page in Poland after her previous one on Gogetfunding was cancelled after receiving more than €1000.
This came in the wake of claims made by US private investigator/celebrity medium Dr Fia Johansson that indecent images of children were found on a phone Julia left behind in California.
The phone was seized by police. Julia has denied any wrong doing.
On website zrzutka.pl she wrote: "My fundraiser on another website was cancelled (probably because of haters who reported it) and money was refund to people but I will not give up because I need be able to pay lawyer, therapist and just help myself.
"Hi, I am creating this fundraiser to help myself. Many people told me that I should do this but I refused because I didn’t want to make people saying that I’m a liar or just a bad person but I decided to ask you for help..I need your help.
"I understand the media frenzy surrounding this has been hectic and overwhelming for everyone. It has also been an awfully overwhelming time for me, I’m 21 year old girl, I’ve been through a lot in my young life.
"Over the last few weeks, I was coerced into going to the USA, in return isolating me from everything around me.
"Whilst over there, went through a tough time which in turn resulted in me being even more isolated and distrusting of others.
"Now I’m at home in Poland and trying to return to a somewhat normal life with my boyfriend and my lovely cat Monte - I am being met with vicious untrue statements and outright lies pertaining to my character.
"I need to get back on my feet, I need to be able to get myself to a place where I can return to the work force and thrive in the career I choose. In order to do that I need support around me such as lawyers and professionals."
Julia Wendell made headlines as she claimed she was the missing girl who vanished in Portugal in 2007.
She joined up with a self-professed psychic called Fia Johansson in the US. But the two have now fallen out after a DNA test found she was not Madeleine.
Dr Johansson reported Julia to Orange County Sheriff's Department in California, who have said it will be sent on to police in Germany and Poland to investigate.
She has handed over a phone she says Julia left behind and alleged it contains explicit images of children, as well as evidence she encouraged young girls to join sex platforms, The Sun reported.
Julia, 21, denied wrongdoing and told the paper: "I didn't have child pornography on my phone. I am not a paedo and I never tried to encourage any teenagers to do anything illegal and bad and disgusting," she said.
"I am not a paedo. I am a victim of a paedo."
Julia has apologised to Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann for causing them "sadness" as a result of her claims.
Julia sparked a worldwide storm after claiming she was Madeleine. Her original Instagram account iammadeleinemccan had more than one million followers before it was deactivated.
She said she had few memories from her childhood and pointed to a defect in her eye similar to the one Madeleine was known to have to back up her claims.
In recent posts, she insisted: "I have to say I never said I am Madeleine. I always said that I believe I could be Madeleine."
Private investigator and celebrity medium Dr Johansson took her to California after she received death threats in Poland. She was given power of attorney over the 21-year-old and appeared alongside her on US talk show Dr Phil.
After the DNA test proved she was not Madeleine, Julia returned to Poland and has said that Dr Fia Johansson was "trying to scare" her adding that she’s no longer sure whether the "medium" ever wanted to help at all.
