Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann returns to Poland after DNA results reveal she's not missing toddler
4 April 2023, 11:28 | Updated: 6 April 2023, 12:23
The woman who claimed she was Madeleine McCann has gone back to her father in Poland hours after long-awaited DNA tests revealed that she was not the missing girl.
Dr Fia Johansson, who was granted power of attorney over Julia Wendell after taking her to the US, said the 21-year-old Pole was returning to her dad after receiving the results.
In a statement posted to Instagram, she said: "Julia's test results are back. We finally know the reality.
She added: "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."
Read More: Woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann receives DNA test results - with full heritage revealed
Read More: Girl claiming to be Madeleine McCann: What have Julia Wendell's Polish parents said?
In February Julia, 21, went viral after claiming she could be Madeleine, who was last seen on a family holiday in Portugal in 2007.
Her social media following grew and she had more one million followers on her now deactivated Instagram account.
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.
Read More: Woman who believes she is Madeleine McCann hasn't made any money from recent fame
In California, Julia underwent tests to prove her identity but facial recognition software said it was '90% certain' that Julia was not Madeleine.
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.
“If she is my mother, I don’t want to have contact with her that’s all, but I believe she isn’t my mother,” she said.
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.
