Hannah Walton-Hughes
Polish authorities have ruled out the possibility of a TikToker’s claim that she is Madeline McCann.
Julia Faustyna, 21, said she has been offered a DNA test by Madeleine McCann’s parents, after claiming to be their missing daughter on social media.
Faustyna posted a number of photos on her Instagram account – @iammadeleinmccan – claiming she closely matched the missing British child.
She published comparison images and circled the key characteristics she thought to be similar to Madeleine’s, including an eye defect and a cheek dimple.
A disappearance that disturbed the world
On May 3 2007, Madeleine McCann disappeared from a Portuguese holiday apartment. The toddler was last seen sleeping in a bed near her two younger siblings in the apartment.
Kate McCann, Madeleine’s mother, returned to the apartment to find her daughter missing and the window open. The story made international headlines at the time.
The case has remained open ever since, with authorities unsure if Madeleine is dead or alive. She would currently be 19 years old.
Julia has commented on the released police sketch of the man they suspect of abducting Madeleine. She says she recognizes the person drawn, and also claims they look “very similar to my abuser”.
She also claims to have been a “victim of a German paedophile.”
In one of her videos, Julia pleaded; “I need you to help me because police ignore me…I need to talk with Kate and Gerry McCann.”
DNA test looks unlikely
Fia Johansson, a psychic medium who has previously worked with police is currently Julia’s spokesperson.
In a video statement on Tuesday, Johansson asked the public to “respect this woman’s privacy” while the investigation is ongoing.
However, Pawel Noga from the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wroclaw ruled out the possibility of Julia being the missing toddler after meeting Faustyna’s family.
Therefore it’s looking increasingly unlikely that a DNA test will actually be performed.
“We have memories, we have pictures.”
Since gaining media attention, Julia’s family in Poland have denied these claims,
Her family said: “For us as a family, it is obvious that Julia is our daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and step-niece. We have memories, we have pictures.”
Her family said they have always tried to understand “all the situations that happened with Julia,” and have tried to seek help in the form of medical treatments and counselling.
Many women have claimed to be Madeleine McCann over the fifteen years since she disappeared. Kate and Gerry McCann have never commented on any of these claims, nor have they responded publicly to this development.
Image courtesy of MyAngelG via Flickr. Image licence found here. No changes have been made to this image.
hwaltonh13
I am an aspiring political journalist, and am passionate about writing and reporting on local, national, and international news. Currently, I am a second year Undergraduate student studying English with Creative Writing at the University of Nottingham. I am a regular contributor to the News, Features, Reviews and Entertainment sections of the University's magazine, Impact, where I also hold the position of Head of the Reviews section. I am a member of the News team at University Radio Nottingham, where I am a panelist on the weekly News and Political shows, as well as partaking in reporting. Previous work experience includes a week's placement at Your LocalLink Magazine in York, in addition to shadowing MP Jason McCartney in Parliament. See my LinkedIn page for more. Over lockdown, I appeared on BBC Radio York during York, discussing my Creative Writing.