Madeleine McCann's parents hit back after DNA tests prove Polish woman isn't their missing daughter

5 April 2023, 12:39 | Updated: 7 April 2023, 15:24

Official Find Madeleine Campaign respond to false claims by Polish woman Julia Wendell that she is the missing girl
Official Find Madeleine Campaign respond to false claims by Polish woman Julia Wendell that she is the missing girl. Picture: Alamy/social media

By StephenRigley

The Find Madeleine McCann campaign has spoken out after DNA tests proved Julia Wendell is not the missing British girl.

Julia went viral last month with more than one million followers on her now deactivated Instagram account after claiming she was Madeleine.

Private investigator and celebrity medium Dr Fia Johansson took her to California after she received death threats in Poland. She had been given power of attorney over the 21-year-old.

Yesterday Dr Fia said the results indicated she is "100% Polish", meaning there's no possibility of her being the British girl.

Julia has now decided to return to Poland to be with her father after the DNA results were received.

Read More: Mum of woman who said she was Madeleine McCann left 'beside herself' and 'mortified' by daughter's claims

Kate and Gerry McCann with an age progressed impression of Madeleine in 2012 five years after she went missing
Kate and Gerry McCann with an age progressed impression of Madeleine in 2012 five years after she went missing. Picture: Alamy
Dr Fia Johansson with Julia Wendell
Dr Fia Johansson with Julia Wendell. Picture: social media

Read More: Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann returns to Poland after DNA results reveal she's not missing toddler

Read More: Woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann receives DNA test results - with full heritage revealed

in a question on the official Find Madeleine Facebook page, a woman asked: "Is there any chance of giving us an update? There has been a lot of media about a girl claiming to be Maddie and DNA being done? Is it possible to let your followers know what is going on [...]?"

The woman added: “Our thoughts and prayers are always with the McCann family and a safe return of their precious daughter.”

Read More: 'She's trying to scare me': Woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann slams private investigator who 'never wanted to help'

In response the Official Find Madeleine campaign wrote: “There isn’t anything to report at this time. If and when there is, it will come from The Metropolitan Police.”

Julia Wendell
Julia Wendell. Picture: social media
Madeleine McCann
Madeleine McCann. Picture: Alamy

Read More: 'I have a gut feeling' Private detective gives her verdict on DNA claims of woman who believes she is Madeleine McCann

Read More: Woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann says all she wants to do is 'help people who have experienced trauma'

Yesterday speaking of Julia's DNA results, Dr Johansson said: "The test results revealed that she is a 100 per cent of Polish heart, with negligible influence from Lithuania and Russia.

The DNA test results did not show any connection to British or even German roots."This story is much more complicated than a simple girl from a small town in Poland making a claim to get attention.

"She truly believed what she was saying, and with so many questions about her childhood it is easy to understand where she was coming from.

"What is amazing is parent's refusal to resolve this nagging question for Julia.

"In any case, upon the revelation, she decided to be back with her dad. I personally wish her well."

Julia tried to prove her case by pointing out physical similarities between herself and Madeleine — including a brown smudge that appears on each girl’s right eye. Private detective and celebrity medium Dr Johansson took up her case and whisked Julia to America after she received death threats.

They both appeared on top US tv talk show Dr Phil where Julia reiterated her claim that she was Madeleine and said she wouldn’t want any contact with her Polish family.

Madeleine vanished on a family holiday to Portugal in 2007 aged three.

Scotland Yard cops investigating what happened are set to be given another £300,000 to keep the case going.

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