Polish police rule out woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann
FILE – A picture of missing British girl Madeleine McCann, who disapeared from the Praia da Luz beach resort in the Algarve, is displayed at Our Lady of Fatima shrine Sunday, May 13 2007, in Fatima, northern Portugal. The parents of Madeleine McCann, a British toddler who vanished from an apartment during her family’s vacation in Portugal 15 years ago and captured global interest, say they remain hopeful that efforts by police in three countries to solve the mystery will eventually bring answers. Kate and Gerry McCann, both British doctors living in England, said in a statement to mark the anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance Tuesday, May 3, 2022 that “a truly horrific crime” was committed in 2007. (AP Photo/Steven Governo, File)
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(NewsNation) — The Polish police announced they have ruled out a young woman claiming to be missing Madeleine McCann, Global News reported after verifying a translation from the Polish outlet Gazeta.
Julia Faustyna, a 21-year-old Polish woman, came forward with claims she is the missing child. Although Madeleine McCann would only be 19, Faustyna has said she doesn’t believe her age is accurate. Faustyna also goes by the names Julia Wendell and Julia Wandelt.
The McCann family agreed to a DNA test to see if the woman claiming to be their missing daughter is legitimate.
Faustyna took to social media, posting photos of herself and Madeleine McCann side by side to highlight similarities, including a rare eye condition, dimples and similarly placed freckles and moles. She quickly gained the attention of millions worldwide.
However, since the Polish police disputed that claim late last week, Faustyna’s accounts on Instagram have been taken down by the social media site. Faustyna’s own parents have accused her of “setting up a circus,” denying that their daughter is Madeleine but refusing to take a DNA test themselves to prove it.
Madeleine McCann disappeared 16 years ago from a hotel room in Portugal, where her family was on vacation from the UK. Her parents said they were out to dinner with friends just steps from the resort and that they checked on their children regularly. However, when they checked the room a final time at 10 p.m., Madeleine’s two siblings were present but she was gone.
The case has never been closed, though Portuguese police believe Madeleine McCann was killed in an accident and her parents covered it up. The McCanns have maintained their daughter was kidnapped and Scotland Yard has investigated the case as an abduction.
Chris Chandler, the host of “News with Chris,” was the first person to interview Faustyna when she started posting on Instagram.
Chandler said these latest developments have definitely raised a few eyebrows, especially since Faustyna’s Instagram accounts suddenly disappeared.
He said that Dr. Fia Johansson, a medium who has 9.2 million followers, is leading a private investigation as Faustyna’s liaison, and claims that the Instagram account is suspended due to many people reporting the account. However, Johansson said there aren’t any other updates than that, Chandler said.
“I’m starting to get a little bit suspicious of what’s been going on, to be honest,” Chandler admitted.
“The thing I can point out is that I definitely think that she has issues with her own mental health,” Chandler continued. “I would say in my own gut instinct that she does have a history of maybe abuse or not knowing who she really is.”
He reassured that he’s always remained unbiased on stories, but he is questioning Johansson’s role in the case. Neither of them have asked for money or donations, Chandler said, explaining that he isn’t sure what the goal would be in creating this “media circus.”