Two women have appeared in court to deny charges of stalking the family of Madeleine McCann, the young British girl who tragically disappeared in Portugal in 2007. The two individuals, Julia Wandelt and Karen Spragg, faced separate hearings at Leicester Magistrates' Court and Leicester Crown Court respectively, where they both pleaded not guilty to the allegations against them.
Julia Wandelt, a 23-year-old Polish national, gained public attention in the past year after claiming on social media to be Madeleine McCann. Despite a DNA test confirming she is not the missing child, Wandelt is now accused of orchestrating a campaign of harassment against Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as their other children, Sean and Amelie. The charges against Wandelt include allegations of making numerous calls, leaving voicemails, sending letters and WhatsApp messages to the McCanns, and even attending their family home in Leicestershire on two occasions in the previous year. Additionally, she is accused of sending Instagram messages to Madeleine's siblings. Wandelt was arrested in February upon her arrival at Bristol Airport and has been remanded in custody.
The second woman, Karen Spragg, a 60-year-old from Cardiff, also appeared in court to answer to a charge of stalking the McCann family, causing serious alarm or distress. Spragg is accused of making calls, sending letters, and attending the home address of Mr. and Mrs. McCann. She was granted conditional bail with specific restrictions, including not contacting the McCann family or their friends, not entering Leicestershire except for court appearances, and residing at her home address in Cardiff.
Both Wandelt and Spragg are scheduled to face trial together at Leicester Crown Court on October 2nd. The charges against them highlight the ongoing distress and intrusion faced by the McCann family, who have endured years of intense public scrutiny and the emotional burden of their daughter's unsolved disappearance.
The case of Madeleine McCann remains one of the most widely reported missing person cases globally. The three-year-old vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, while her parents were dining nearby. Despite extensive investigations by Portuguese and British authorities, and the involvement of German police in recent years, Madeleine's whereabouts remain unknown.
The recent arrests and charges related to the alleged stalking of the McCann family underscore the persistent challenges they face, even years after Madeleine's disappearance. While the world continues to follow any developments in the search for Madeleine, this legal case focuses on the alleged actions of individuals who have further compounded the family's suffering through harassment. The upcoming trial will shed more light on the specific details of the accusations and the evidence against the two women.
Source@BBC