Julia Faustyna told the world she was Madeleine McCann. She's now issued a 17 page apology.

It was the news story that dominated headlines two months ago: '21-year-old Polish woman claims to be missing girl Madeleine McCann.'

The woman behind it all, Julia Faustyna, revealed via a social media post in February that she thought she was Madeleine McCann. If Madeleine was alive, she would be 19 years old today. 

"I think I can be Madeleine," Faustyna wrote. "I have a defect in my eye, in the same eye, the kind of defect Madeleine had. Except that in my case, it's faded more and more every year."

In the post, Faustyna claimed she was a "victim of a German pedophile", who she does not know the identity of, and said she suffers from post-traumatic amnesia. 

But recently, a DNA test confirmed the reality — that she is not in fact Madeleine.

This week, she issued a 17-page apology in a statement to the missing girl's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, saying: "It wasn't my intention to bring sadness or another negative [emotion] to anyone, especially to McCann's family."

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The statement was published on her Facebook page, the 21-year-old saying she "didn't do it for fame".

"I didn't get [paid] for being a part of Dr Phil's episode. My main purpose was always to find out who I am and what exactly happened in my very hurtful past," she said.

But despite the apology, she added: "I still believe that it's a possibility that I could be Madeleine."

Soon after the story gained traction online, Faustyna launched a now-removed Instagram page, @IamMadeleineMcCann, where she pointed out the physical similarities between herself and Madeleine, including a cheek dimple. 

A DNA test determined that Faustyna wasn't Madeleine, as Faustyna had no British ancestry detected in her DNA, which Madeleine had. 

"I never said that I am Madeleine, I always said that I believe that I could be Madeleine. I am not delusional and crazy," she wrote. "For the McCann family — I hope that if I am not Madeleine, my case will help you to know where your daughter [is]."

She continued: "It was my mistake and I know it and I apologise for that because I should [have] used [the] words 'Am I Madeleine McCann?' not 'I Am'. So, it was my fault."

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Madeleine has been missing for 16 years now. 

On May 3, 2007, Kate and Gerry McCann left their three sleeping children in their holiday apartment in the quiet Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz and headed out for dinner.

They thought that Madeleine, three, and 18-month-old twins, Sean and Amelie, would be safe just 83 metres from where they were dining at a tapas restaurant with the group of friends they were holidaying with.

By 10pm, however, when it was Kate McCann's turn to check on the kids, Madeleine was gone, never seen again.

What happened next is well documented. The story of the blonde toddler's unexplained disappearance became a global news story.

And over the years, there have been countless people like Julia Faustyna who have claimed to be Madeleine themselves or know what really happened to her.

Kate and Gerry McCann haven't ever commented publicly about Faustyna's claims.

They often release a statement on the anniversary of their daughter's disappearance. Last May, they wrote: "This year we mark fifteen years since we last saw Madeleine. It feels no harder than any other but no easier either. 

"Many people talk about the need for 'closure'. It's always felt like a strange term. Regardless of the outcome, Madeleine will always be our daughter and a truly horrific crime has been committed. These things will remain."

Feature Image: Instagram/Getty.