The family of the Polish woman who says she is the kidnapped British toddler Madeleine McCann has broken their silence to say that she is not the long-missing girl. They say that she has mental health problems and ignored their pleas to stop her “lies and manipulation.”
Julia Faustyna, 21, who also goes by the names Julia Wendell and Julia Wandelt, has relatives who say they are “devastated” by the attention she has gotten from the media for posting viral videos in which she says she is Madeleine, a 3-year-old girl who was taken while on vacation in Portugal in 2007 when she was there with her family.
“It’s clear that Julia is our daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and stepniece to us as a family. “We have memories and pictures,” the family said in a statement sent out by the group Missing Years Ago, which helps people who have gone missing.
“Julia also has these photos because she took them from the family home along with the birth certificate and several hospital discharges.”
Faustyna says her family took her out of therapy when she started “asking questions,” but her family says she has mental health problems and they didn’t.
“We tried to help her get back on her feet every time she fell. Julia has been an adult for a while now. They said, “She has left the house, she won’t get help, and she doesn’t take her medicines regularly.”
“She did not take advantage of the opportunity to receive treatment at a very excellent facility in Poland that agreed to accept her,” they added.
Additionally, the family claims that she was motivated by the attention she was receiving.
Julia once desired careers as a singer and model. She has always desired popularity. Currently, she has one million followers,” the statement added.
They also expressed concern that their daughter will be haunted by the extensive coverage.
They stated, “The internet will not forget, and it is evident that Julia is not Maddie.” “We are devastated by the current condition of affairs. Julia’s threats to our address, her falsehoods and manipulations, and her online activity.
“We’ve seen it all, and we’ve tried to prevent it, explain it, and we’ve implored her to stop,” they said. “We’d like to take a stance on Julia’s case, which has been widely covered on the internet and in the media in recent days.”
Faustyna had documented facial moles and a brown mark on the right iris of each daughter as apparent similarities between herself and Madeleine.
She also claimed in social media posts that she suffered from post-traumatic amnesia after being sexually abused by a German pedophile whose identity she does not know. However, she stated that she recognizes the alleged assailant in a composite image displayed on the Find Madeleine website.
She said she will go to court seeking a DNA test from her parents to clear up the matter.
However, according to private investigator Fia Johansson, Faustyna’s mother will not provide a genetic sample.
Johansson, who represents Faustyna, told The Sun, “I have personally spoken with Julia’s mother and assured her that we will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and secure, but she continues to refuse to take the test.”
Johannsson has acknowledged that but claims Faustyna’s mother has documents proving the woman is her birth daughter.
Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have previously agreed to take a DNA test, but Johansson said it was “not necessary” to disrupt them.