Woman claims she is Maddie McCann after revealing similarities
Julia Faustyna, 21, has created an Instagram account to share pictures she claims pose as evidence she may be Madeleine McCann.
There has been a new development in the almost 16-year-long missing person search for Madeleine McCann, with a Polish woman coming forward and claiming to be the child who disappeared as a three-year-old.
Julia Faustyna, 21, launched an Instagram account this week and compared similarities between herself and young Madeleine who went missing from a holiday resort in Portugal in 2007.
Ms Faustyna's claims have piqued so much interest online she claims the McCanns have heard her story and have agreed to a DNA test.
“The family are taking no chances, they are willing to look at all leads,” a source close to the family told the Daily Star.
“It is important they look at all of the factors, the girl does look similar. There’s no disputing that. If what she says is true, there is every chance it could be her. It all adds up.”
What happened to Madeleine McCann?
The three-year-old from Leicestershire, England was on a family holiday on May 3, 2007 and was put to bed with her younger siblings while her parents, Kate and Gerry, enjoyed a meal less than 100 metres along the street.
After regularly checking on the children throughout the night, Kate found Madeleine's bed was empty and immediately alerted police and resort staff who desperately searched for the missing girl who would now be 19.
Throughout the years, the family have tirelessly campaigned for the return of Madeleine, but sadly their efforts have been in vain.
Last year a known incarcerated sex predator Christian Brückner was named the prime suspect of the case, yet he has not been charged with any crimes relating to Madeleine, with her infamous disappearance being one of the most known unsolved mysteries.
Despite multiple police investigations, Madeleine's body has never been found.
Why does Julia think she's Madeleine?
Ms Faustyna, who has also been referred to as Julia Wandelt and Julia Wendell, claims she cannot remember a lot from her childhood after experiencing extensive abuse at the hands of a German paedophile.
She believes she has spotted connections between the details from Madeleine's disappearance and the limited information she knows about herself.
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In a Facebook post, Julia shared her abuser's surname was Ney and noted that one of Madeline's suspects several years ago was Martin Ney.
Despite claiming the first names did not match and Martin Ney no longer being a suspect in the McCann case, Julia questioned the coincidence as both men are believed to be from Germany and are linked to child abduction crimes.
Having similar shaped “face, ears, lips”, having a gap between her front teeth and sharing a similar mark on her right eye as Madeleine, Julia decided to share her belief that she possibly could be the missing Madeleine.
Julia claims that her family are silent about the trauma she experienced as a child, with her mother allegedly pulling her from therapy which she initially funded after Julia questioned her family on any relation to the McCann case.
What happens next?
It has been reported that the McCanns have agreed to a DNA test to determine whether or not Julia is indeed their biological daughter, however, there has been no official statement from the pair.
Julia's latest upload to her Instagram account suggested they were aware of her claims and were willing to entertain her beliefs.
"Kate and Gerry McCann agreed for DNA test!" she wrote.
The couple are notorious for their never-ending efforts to find their daughter, with the sentiment shared on Find Madeleine, a website created by the McCanns.
"Madeleine is still missing and someone needs to be looking for her," the website states.
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