(NewsNation) — A woman accused of stalking the family of missing Madelaine McCann repeatedly claimed she was Madeleine and told a charity that she believed she was two other missing girls, according to recent BBC reporting.

Madeleine was just three years old when she disappeared while on vacation with her British family in Portugal in 2007. It remains one of the most famous unsolved missing persons cases in the world.

Julia Wandelt, 24, is on trial with her co-defendant, Karen Spragg, 61, at Leicester Crown Court in Leicester, UK, roughly 100 miles north of London, facing stalking charges against Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

The pair is accused of stalking the McCann family from June 2022 through February 2025, the month they were arrested. They both deny the charges.

What is Wandelt accused of?

According to the BBC, the prosecution told jurors that Wandelt claimed to be Madeleine and “pursued that myth” by stalking the missing girl’s parents by sending emails, making phone calls, leaving messages and showing up at their home.

One voicemail Wandelt left on Kate McCann’s phone said: “I know you probably think that Madeleine is dead, but she is not.”

DNA samples were taken following Wandelt’s arrest, which conclusively proved she is not Madeleine.

It was also revealed in court that Wandelt had previously reached out to a charity to let them know that she believed she was two other missing girls.

What is Spragg’s involvement?

Prosecutors say Spraggs developed an online relationship with Wandelt, supported her claims and joined her in confronting the family directly.

Before showing up at the McCann house, Spraggs left a message on Kate McCann’s phone saying, “I really, really want you to take her (Wandelt) seriously if you really want to find your daughter.”