Polish woman Julia Faustyna, also known as Julia Wendell and Julia Wandelt, says she believes she may be missing British girl, Madeleine McCann, who disappeared while vacationing with her parents in 2007.
According to an Instagram post, Faustyna began entertaining the idea that she may be Madeleine “a few months ago after hearing something from her grandmother.” Faustyna added that she has no memories aside from a holiday memory of being in “white-colored apartments.”
Madeleine, 3 at the time, was vacationing with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 when she vanished from her hotel room. Her parents had been dining a short distance away on the resort property while she slept in the room with her siblings.
Faustyna added that the memory didn’t include any family members, but included seeing a beach and a “little bay as I can remember I saw [turtles] then and there were another children and they tried to touch small [turtles].”
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Parents and Childhood
Faustyna added that her own parents rarely talk about her childhood and dismiss questions when she brings the past up. During the rare times they did talk about the past, Faustyna said their stories had inaccuracies.
She said an example includes her parents telling her she joined a school much earlier than September 2007, but her kindergarten teacher said that was her enrollment date.
Faustyna said she’s 21, but she isn’t certain if that is her exact age, since she reportedly hasn’t seen her birth certificate and doesn’t know if she was lied to. Madeleine, as of February 2023, would be 18 years old.
While speaking with The Tab, Faustyna said she’s tried to get her parents to talk about the discrepancies, but they reportedly refuse to engage.
“[My] mother didn’t want to talk about it,” she said. “She said the past is in the past and she is not going to talk about the past. She said now is the future and we should focus on the future. My dad said, ‘even if I am not your father will it change anything?’”.
Sexual Abuse
Faustyna said she recognized convicted sex offender Christian Brückner when she saw his mugshot. Law enforcement believes Brückner may have kidnapped Madeleine and harmed her, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
Brückner worked as a repair man in Praia de Luz around the time that Madeliene vanished. He’s currently behind bars serving out a 7-year sentence for attacking a 72-year-old woman at the resort in 2005.
According to another Instagram post, Faustyna said she was sexually abused beginning around age eight, and a robot portrait police made in the case closely resembled Brückner.
“I know this person and I will always recognise this face. That’s him. It’s Peter. I’m sure that’s his face. I think I may be Madeleine, but I’m not 100% sure without the DNA test. But on this robot portrait, I’m sure it’s him.”
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Physical Similarities
Madeleine has an eye defect called coloboma, which affects her right eye. Faustyna’s right eye is also affected in the same area.
“I have similar eyes, shape of face, ears, lips, I had the gap between the teeth,” Faustyna wrote in an Instagram post. “I need to know the truth. I need dna test and I need to talk with Madeleine’s parents. Help me!”
Police Contact
Faustyna told The Tab that she has contacted law enforcement numerous times, but was told they wouldn’t be investigating her claims.
“I called my local police, Capital city police, the Met police, Portugal police and Crimestoppers,” she said. “A few months ago I talked with Operation Grange, too.”
Check back for updates.
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[Featured image: Julia Faustyna/Instagram; Madeleine McCann/Family Handout]
