An expert has had her say on a young Polish woman's claims that she is Madeleine McCann.
Facial 'super-recogniser' Simone Malik has drawn a startling new image of what she believes the missing Brit would look like now. It comes as Julia Wendell claimed via her @iammadeleinemcann Instagram account that she is in fact Maddie.
The Daily Star reports how Julia's claims have sparked mass debate about the possibility of her telling the truth. Simone also ran through some of the key facial features and giveaways that made it clear to her that Julia Wendell is, in fact, not Maddie.
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She said: “I believe that this isn’t Madeleine McCann – obviously DNA is the only thing that would prove it. If she could get a DNA that would be fantastic because it would put to rest the distress she is going through.”
“On first impressions, when I looked at Julia Wendell I didn’t see any kind of family resemblance – at all.”
Simone – who previously released another image of what she thinks Madeleine McCann would look like back in 2021 – explained that further study did show some similarities between images of Madeleine and the 21-year-old polish woman.
Crucially however, she concluded that these were not significant enough for her keen eye to say they’re the same person.
“When you closely inspect the face and the way she’s laid out the face next to both parents… you can see what she’s pointing out,” she said. "There are some similarities on closer inspection but for me what really gave it away is her jawline.”
Simone then went through some of the key features that proved to her that this was a different person, including her lips, jaw and dimples on her cheeks.
“In my earlier drawing of Madeleine McCann, I really emphasised that jawline of [hers].”
She continued: “Even as a youngster when you look at her, at those pictures, I imagine [she] would grow up to have a jawline [that's] sharp and chiselled, an angular jawline very much like her mother Kate McCann.”
Simone explained how family similarities were lacking between Julia and Madeleine’s mother Kate, as well as paternal aunty Philomena McCann.
“So, if you look at Julia, she has a very prominent chin, a long prominent chin, a rounded jawline which in [her] earlier pictures […] you can actually see the jawline is very rounded and it goes up, it’s quite long.
“There are no angles to her jawline whatsoever.” Simone explained that Maddie’s dimples were also different to Julia’s.
“Also I believe that Madeleine would [have] very distinctive dimples – distinctive. With Julia, they’re not there either. She’s got a slight dimpling but slightly – most people can have that.
“Madeleine has got very distinct dimples, very defined dimples compared to Julia.
“For me her jawline and the fact that Julia doesn’t have those dimples like Madeleine and the fact Julia’s mouth is also very different to what Madeleine’s is – Madeleine’s got a very thin upper lip.
“Again it’s like Kate McCann’s lip – the shape the size everything is very very much like Kate’s.”
Simone also explained key differences to other members of Madeleine’s family she saw in Julia.
“Also Philomena McCann, who is Jerry McCann’s sister and Madeleine’s aunty, she also has that mouth and lip area just like Madeleine.
“So Madeleine I would imagine would be someone who has grown up to be a cross between her mother and slightly like Philomena – from the lip profile and the nose profile like Philomena and Kate.
“I would definitely say this is not the case, this is not Madeleine McCann that we’re looking at.
“Even as a child Julia has got a full upper lip and she’s got a full bottom lip – Madeleine McCann’s lip area is identical to Kate McCann’s. She added: “We’re not looking at Madeleine McCann here at all.
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