The mother of ‘I am Madeleine McCann‘ girl Julia Wandelt is said to be “beside herself” with the publicity surrounding her daughter’s claims that she could have been the missing Brit.
Julia came forward back in February claiming that chunks of her childhood were missing from her memory and making allegations that she had been abused. She was flown to the States by private investigator Dr Fia Johansson, who looked into the claims.
It has since been confirmed that Julia isn’t missing Madeleine McCann after DNA tests confirmed Julia’s heritage. Now a family friend has spoken out, claiming to the Daily Mail that Julia’s mother is “mortified” by what has gone on.
Julia Wandelt’s mother ‘mortified’ by Madeleine McCann claims
21-year-old Julia reportedly comes from a conventional middle class family in an attractive provincial city in Poland. And it’s alleged that her family – mother Dorota and stepfather Piotr – have been deeply distressed by the attention the claims have brought them.
A family friend is said to have alleged to the paper: “Julia is a very disturbed young woman. Her mother Dorota is just beside herself, she can’t believe how this has snowballed, Julia is very sick and Dorata just wants her to get the help she needs.
“It was clear from the beginning that Julia was not Madeleine. Julia just needs to be home with her family so that she can get the treatment that she needs and which will make the family happy. Dorota is mortified that all this publicity has caused fresh grief for the McCann family.”
The family friend also accused Dr Fia of “exploiting” Julia. Since she returned to Poland, though, Dr Fia and Julia have been engaged in an online war of words. And it now appears there is no love lost between the pair.
Julia’s family background
The friend also revealed details of Julia’s upbringing to the publication. It’s claimed Julia and her mother moved to Wroclaw from northern Poland in 2009. Dorota had previously split from Julia’s father, it’s claimed, and he moved to Germany. Dorota met Piotr and runs a chain of clothes shops. It’s said they paid for Julia to attend private school.
A former school friend alleged to the Mail that Julia was “around seven” when she moved to Wroclaw. She started at private school but couldn’t “settle down” so switched to the local primary, it’s claimed. It’s said that her dreams of becoming a singer and model started at school. The friend alleged that Julia became “depressed and angry” when “none of this happened”.
The friend also shared unsubstantiated claims that Julia has contacted authorities to say she could be missing girls before the “I am Madeleine McCann” claims came to light.
“What is happening now isn’t exactly new. When she was in her mid-teens she started to say that Dorota wasn’t her mother and that she was really a child who had gone missing in Poland a few years earlier. A few months back I heard from friends that Julia was back at it again and saying that she was really Madeleine McCann which everyone knew was ridiculous,” the friend alleged.
Dorota’s pal told the paper the family “couldn’t believe” what Julia was saying. It’s claimed Dorota asked Julia to stop spreading the claims that she could be Madeleine. However, Julia said she “just said she didn’t believe Dorota was her mother”, it’s alleged.
Read more: 9 big questions that remain after DNA rules Julia isn’t Madeleine McCann
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