The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann Trailer. Video / Netflix
Disgusting merchandise mocking Madeleine McCann’s parents has sparked outrage ahead of Mother’s Day.
The cruel and taunting “gifts”, targeted towards Gerry and Kate, include clothing and mugs.
Disturbing phrases making fun of Madeleine’s disappearance have even been printed on maternity outfits, shirts and jumpers.
They are being sold on awebsite called CafePress and marketed as gifts for Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on March 19 in the UK.
Shockingly, the company had already found itself in hot water a few years ago after producing similar products - but it dosen’t appear to have learnt its lesson.
Polish woman Julia Faustyna, who also goes by Julia Wendlet, has been claiming on Instagram and TikTok that she may be the toddler due to similarities in their appearance and age. She has amassed tens of thousands of followers as a result.
But Paweł Noga from the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław, in the country’s west, told Polish news outlet Gazetathat they have “ruled out” Faustyna’s version of events, according to an English translation of the outlet’s report.
Photos showing her similarity to Maddie have gained momentum online. Photo / Instagram/iammadeleinemccan
Faustyna’s account began posting photos two weeks ago. The Polish woman says she has a spot in her right eye and a beauty mark on her cheek that resemble McCann’s. She also claims that details of her childhood don’t add up, leading her to believe that she was abducted as a toddler.
“I don’t remember most of my childhood but my earliest memory is very strong and it’s about holidays in a hot place with a beach and white or very light [coloured] buildings with [apartments],” Faustyna said in an Instagram post from her account.
Her accounts on Instagram and TikTok quickly went viral. She said in an update last week that Kate and Gerry McCann had agreed to a DNA test, which has not been confirmed.
“Due to an active police investigation, Gerry and Kate are not issuing any statements or giving interviews unless requested by The Metropolitan Police,” a spokesman for the Official Find Madeleine Campaign said in a statement.
Social media users, who were at first curious about Faustyna’s claims, are now wary about the viral account. Faustyna shot back at her critics in a statement posted to Instagram Thursday.
“If you don’t like me, please unfollow. I don’t want fans or followers. I closed my Facebook account and TikTok so people can’t make fun of me OK?” she wrote. “LEAVE ME ALONE”.
‘She isn’t Maddie’
A Polish blog for missing persons posted a purported statement from “Julia W’s” family to Facebook.
“[Julia] once wanted to be a singer, a model. She always wanted to be popular. What’s happening now she got 1 million followers. We’re afraid Julia will carry the inevitable.
“The internet won’t forget, and it’s obvious that Julia isn’t Maddie. We are devastated at this current situation.”
Christian Brueckner continues to deny involvement in Madeleine McCann's disappearance and death. Photo / Handout
In 2020, German police named convicted child abuser and drug dealer Christian Brueckner, 45, as a suspect in the 3-year-old’s disappearance, though Brueckner, a German citizen, continues to deny involvement in the case.
Brueckner is currently serving time in a German prison for drug crimes. He also has a pending seven-year sentence connected to the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz.
London’s Metropolitan Police of London told Fox News Digital that they have no new comment on the investigation.
“We continue to support colleagues in Germany with their investigation,” the Met Police said.
The statement adds that Faustyna has had “numerous therapies, medicines, psychologists and psychiatrists,” but she “moved out of the house” and “refuses treatment”.
