A 21-year-old woman from Poland has made a bold claim: She believes she is Madeleine McCann, the British girl who disappeared from a vacation villa in Portugal when she was 3 years old.
The woman, who is named Julia Wandelt, has launched a campaign via social media begging to be connected to Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann. The two have agreed to take a DNA test to confirm or deny Julia's suggestions.
It appears that Julia has also used the last name Faustyna, according to the Daily Beast. Julia has used Instagram and TikTok to make her case, and commenters and visitors to her account are split on whether or not they believe her.
Julia claims to have a similar brown spot on one of her legs that Madeleine also has; she also believes she has a speck in one of her eyes similar to Madeleine. Julia has shared a number of photos of herself as a child to compare her looks to both Madeleine and her parents.
Julia also believes she is a victim of the same German man who has been accused of being involved in Madeleine's disappearance and possible murder.
In one post, Julia writes, "I have similar eyes, shape of face, ears, lips, I had the gap between the teeths [as Madeleine]."
She continues, "I need to know the truth. I need [a] dna test and I need to talk with Madeleine’s parents. Help me!"
While Kate and Gerry have agreed to a test, they have not released an official comment on the matter.
Madeleine McCann was last seen sleeping in the villa her parents had rented while on vacation in Portugal. Kate and Gerry were eating dinner with friends and taking turns checking on their children when they realized Madeleine was gone.
Some are worried about Julia's mental health and are unsure that her claims have any merit at all. An online medium named Dr. Fia Johansson recorded her own video about Julia's claims and offered her take on what might be going on.
She says, "[Julia’s] mental health at this moment is not good. She needs help."
It is unclear when the DNA tests will be performed — or how quickly results will be shared with the public.
