Since Julia Faustyna came to the fore A few days ago, it is inevitable that we wonder if the young Polish woman – 21 years old – is actually Madeleine McCann. She thinks so, or at least she sure does. It is fundamentally based on a series of physical similarities that could indicate that it is missing british minor on May 3, 2007 in the Algarve (Portugal).
The lucubrations would end with a simple DNA analysis, but —while it arrives— the most reliable is the performance of a physiognomic study such as the one that two experts in the field have carried out for digital freedom: Noelia Medinaa criminologist specializing in forensic infographics, and Ricardo Ortega, forensic anthropologist and professor at the Isabel I de Castilla University.
Together they also direct the Art department of the Institute of Professional Training in Forensic Sciences, in which robot portraits, approximations of facial aging, comparisons, etc. are made. Among his best known works, the digital reconstruction of the image of Antonio Anglés (alleged perpetrator of the crime against the Alcàsser girls) today, thirty years after the triple murder.
First approximation
Madeleine’s case is somewhat complex, since she disappeared when she was still very young (3 years old). However, in a first approach to the subject at hand, Medina considers that “there are enough indications to make it worth doing a more in-depth study“. “You see the images of Julia, those of Madeleine McCann’s father or her sister, and it is not unreasonable to think that they could have some kind of genetic relationship,” he adds.
“In general terms, the hair color coincides and the facial physiognomy also. But we have to look above all at the specific markers that will not change over time“, except for the action of an external agent, such as an accident or surgery, in which case “some mark, scar or sign that something has been modified or there was something that is no longer there” would also be appreciated.
“At first glance,” Medina already appreciates that “there are areas that can be differentiated moresuch as the arrangement of eyes, nose (Which in Madeleine is seen as broader and squarer, and in Julia more defined) or the sectoral nevus of the iris (It looks something different, it doesn’t fit perfectly)”. Of course, the expert warns that comparing the photographs of both is complicated “due to the age difference”.
On the other hand, “there are no high-definition images of Julia to see exactly the moles, for example.” “Madeleine has several moles in specific, very specific places” which it seems that the young Polish woman does not have in all of her. In short, “there are parts that coincide and others that do not.” This leads him to state that “we are at the moment of doing biological tests“.
Similarities and differences, clear
“They have a series of patterns that are similar,” says Ricardo Ortega. He mentions the mole that both present under the eye right, for example. In Julia’s case, she is “a little bigger and somewhat displaced”, but “could fit in” due to the difference in age (which with growth would have increased in size and turned slightly). “The hollowing of the cheeks and the dimpleThey more or less coincide. And the shape of the jaw — that’s important — too “.” But everything else creaks, or has nothing to do with it “, she warns.
“The nose does not fitespecially in the upper part, which has a subsidence in most of the photos,” he says. “the left eye Julia’s is higher, while Madeline’s tends to be more focused,” he adds. “And upper lip it is considerably wider in Julia than in Madeleine”. the sectoral nevus is different. “Not only in shape and size, but also in the opposite position. Madeleine’s turns in one direction and Julia’s in the other.” “They’re similar enough that she can even doubt it, but I don’t think she’s Madeleine,” she says.
What studies can be done?
In it case of EnglishNoelia and Ricardo studied the evolution of the face. First, they generated a database of people within the different age groups, and how their traits were changing. “For example, what changes from 35 to 40 years old: bags under the eyes, crow’s feet, etc.,” explains the anthropologist. So until you find the changes typical of a man of his characteristics past 29 years and apply them to the latest image of the fugitive from justice.
“Here it works differently because we are not talking about an already adult person that grows old, but of a child that grows”, comments Ortega. The situation is more complicated, despite the fact that they have in their favor that, when the minor disappeared, “she no longer had the fontanelles and therefore the shape of the skull was similar to that of adulthood. What changes are the dimensions.”
Nor can a study of the dentition be carried out, which is a primary identification system. It is the first thing that forensics analyze to identify a person along with DNA, fingerprints and implants. The problem is that Maddie’s teeth were still baby teeth. The comparison with Julia’s teeth, already in adulthood, would not be optimal. For her to be, some very specific characteristic would have to be given that would be maintained when the final pieces come out, but that is not the case.
There are other features that, however, do last over time, as is the case with the eyeball, which “more or less, will maintain the same size from the time we are born until we grow up”. “That is why children have very large eyes when they are small, in proportion,” he explains, “everything else gets bigger with the passing of the years”. , in those types of traits that we know are not going to change substantially.
Similar to the McCanns
Normally, Ricardo does an evolutionary study (physiognomic and biometric). And it is Noelia who captures the results in an infographic (art). A process that requires hundreds of hours of work. In this case, they have had no opportunity other than to make an approach. “With the very little time we’ve had, we have made a comparison from: when they are both girls, when Madeleine is a girl and Julia is an adult, from Julia with Madeleine’s father (with whom she has great similarities) and even with her sister (with whom some characteristics coincide).
Among the points that have surprised the experts, it is worth highlighting the resemblance between Julia and Maddie’s sister. And it’s not just physical, even in the expression of the two girls when they smile. “I am very interested this half smile that they both have“, he points out. “We have a series of characteristics that are known as endogenous, those that are going to come derived from the parents, but also by living with them,” he explains. “That you have the same expression as a person with whom You haven’t lived together, it attracts a lot of attention”.
Ortega does not give much importance to the fact that Madeleine looked more like her mother at the time she disappeared and that Julia nevertheless has more facial similarities with the father of the British minor. In childhood, the features are “more graceful” and in adulthood “more defined and hard”. So this situation could occur, since feminine features are usually softer than masculine ones. Therefore, it would not be indicative of anything. Whether it is or not will depend on other factors.
Julia vs Maddie
In physiognomic evolution we have two sets of traits. On the one hand are the endogenous, which are those that are going to inherit from the father or the mother, and that are going to manifest themselves more or less regularly in the offspring. And then we have the exogenous, which in this case has not given time to have them: that you are exposed to light for a long time, that you do not take care of your skin, tobacco, alcohol, etc.
These circumstances make aging much faster. But, in this case, we cancel the exogenous factors. So we focus on the endogenouswhich —Ortega reiterates— “does not quite add up.”
As he told us a few lines above, neither the nose, nor the arrangement of the eyes, nor the upper lip, nor the nevus of the iris fit. “And these are things that in principle do not change.” That does not mean that there are features that do coincide, such as the mole on the right cheek, the dimple when smiling, or the shape of the jaw.
The experts consulted also noted that Julia Faustyna -despite the obvious resemblance to Maddie’s sister and father- does not share features with Kate McCann. On the contrary, they are appreciated. similarities with the one that until now has been his mother, in the photographs that have seen the light. At this point it should be noted that these images do not have much definition and the woman is wearing horn-rimmed glasses that prevent a more detailed analysis of her physiognomy. “We can’t finish seeing the outline of the eyes, the eyebrows or the upper shape of the nose.”
They have also noticed a coincidental trait between Julia and Madeleine’s father which is not very common. “Both have an elevation of the gum between the upper central incisors, which is not very common either,” says the anthropologist. “Instead of having a space, that hole is filled with part of the gum. It has a triangle on top,” he adds. “There we have another possible characterization, but the only thing that will serve us today will be pure genetics. There’s nothing left but that.”
1 comment
There is another resemblance that no one has seen, I believe. It is the implantation of the eyelashes of the left eye, with a small space without eyelashes and the following one a little longer which goes downwards. It’s very noticeable in Maddie’s most well-known photo, and a little in another photo. Julia appears to have the same feature in the photo where she shows off her mole, but it’s a bit blurry. It would be nice to have a clearer picture.