Madeleine McCann detective says ignoring Julia Wandelt's claim would be doing wrong to missing child
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: A private investigator, who has worked on the case of Madeleine McCann, has shared his thoughts after a woman named Julia Wandelt came forward claiming to be the missing girl. Wandelt, who also goes by the names Julia Wendell and Julia Faustyna, has received mixed reactions from people after her revelation.
There is a section of people who think that the 21-year-old woman might be telling the truth but there is another section that believes that she’s doing everything to gain a few minutes of fame. But Julian Peribañez believes that without a proper probe, a decision should not be made regarding her as he thinks it would be wrong toward the missing child. Following Madeleine's disappearance from an apartment in 2007 while on a family vacation in Portugal, the detective reportedly spent two years focusing "24/7" on looking for the toddler in the country.
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‘I’m leaving no stone unturned'
Commenting on Julia’s claims, he told RadarOnline, “I don’t disregard any new information when it comes to the Madeleine case – never! If there is a small chance that she could be Madeleine – even a 0.1 percent chance – it is worth investigating.”
“I’m based in Spain, and she is in Poland – I can help her in some way. I’m leaving no stone unturned,” Peribañez continued, before referring to Julia’s Instagram, where she asserted that she has “similar eyes, shape of face, ears, lips, I had the gap between the teeth." She added, "I need to know the truth. I need [a] DNA test and I need to talk with Madeleine's parents. Help me!”
The investigator added, “For me this the first time there is someone viable saying she is Madeliene. This girl she has the mark on the eye, she doesn’t know her background, or where she comes from, the family doesn’t want to tell the truth, and she really thinks she is Madeleine McCann! You can never disregard a lead in an investigation.”
‘This is a vulnerable woman seeking answers'
This comes after a statement was released via Julia’s Instagram account after she faced major backlash. The statement said, “To everyone interested in Julia's search for answers, please understand we are in the middle of an investigation. This is a vulnerable woman seeking answers about her identity and her life.”
It added, “Regardless of your opinions, she is a human being who deserves respect. When everything is done in the investigation in a few weeks, you can learn more, but more now, please respect this woman's privacy. Her background was challenging and messy. There is no need to spew hatred, judgment, and especially threats towards a person in need. This is unacceptable and needs to stop.”
Besides, a psychologist and self-proclaimed psychic, Dr. Fia Johansson, who is reportedly helping Julia, shared, “What’s so important is to make sure Julia finds her self and identity. When some women ask for help, especially the ones that got abused and went through a tough childhood, it’s my responsibility to help. She is emotional, sad, confused, and scared of the unknown. What’s important is the fact we all have a duty to help her.”