Ever since then 4-year-old Madeleine McCann went missing from an apartment in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, while her parents were out having dinner, her case became “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.”
Sadly, 15 years later, no one knows where Madeleine could be or whether she’s still alive, although her parents and her family never lost hope of ever seeing her again.
On May 12, 2022, what would have been her 18th birthday, her devastated parents shared a heart-wrenching message. “We love you and we’re waiting for you and we’re never going to give up.”
The investigation around her disappearance continues up until this day and her mom and dad, who were considered suspects at one point, say they never lost hope of finding their daughter.
Back in 2020, detectives who are working on Madeleine’s case said how they believe the girl had been murdered. German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters allegedly said that he believes the suspect in the case, Christian Brueckner, didn’t move the girl from Praia da Luz to Germany as many believe, but executed her in Portugal, as reported by the Evening Standard Newspaper. “I am optimistic we will solve this case,” Wolters added.
The prime suspect in the case, German pedophile Christian Brueckner, 44, is currently serving a seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old American in Praia da Luz in 2005. At the same time, he’s awaiting a trial for a separate case in which he’s charged for raping an Irish tour rep in 2004.
The case has seen a dramatic revival in the last few days as everyone has been taken aback by a 21-year-old Polish woman named Julia Wendell who has gone viral after sensationally claiming that she is Madeleine McCann. Julia gathered over a million followers on Instagram where she shares ‘evidence’ of her claims.
On her Instagram account named “Help me, I need to talk with Kate and Gerry McCann” with the username “iammadeleinemccan,” Julia shares evidence of her claims such as certain physical similarities with the missing Madeleine, like the famous rare eye defect and other facial features. As of her childhood, Julia says she remembers little to nothing.
In statements made to the Daily Star, Julia said:“I have lived a very hard life and suffered a lot of trauma, my abuser was a German paedophile who was a suspect in the Madeleine McCann investigation.
“I had not heard of this case until I started asking my parents questions about my childhood as I have little to no memory of it. The memories are all very blurry and when I have had conversations with my parents, things don’t seem to add up and they always try to change the subject.”
Further, Julia said, “I don’t remember being taken away. I mean, I don’t remember almost my entire childhood… I have asked for pictures of when my mum was pregnant with me, other medical records and any pictures from my childhood and she never shows them, she just always tells me I’m crazy.
My school teacher when I was very young said that I wasn’t there from the start but my parents insist I was. After all this confusion I began to do my own research I discovered what had happened to Madeleine McCann and started to piece together the similarities we shared. It has been so stressful trying to get people to listen to me.”
Allegedly, as reported by media outlets, Julia’s story reached Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry, who are willing to follow up on the lead. They could also go ahead with Julia’s offer to do a DNA test.
This information has been confirmed by Julia herself. “Thank you for support! Kate and Gerry McCann agreed for DNA test!” she wrote on Instagram.
As of the parents Julia lives with, she says they are not happy with what she does. They say she is “horrible” for giving false hope to the McCanns.
We truly hope the case of Madeleine McCann will eventually be solve and her parents will finally get some peace.
