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Madeleine McCann twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their interactions with an alleged stalker were extremely disturbing and unsettling. The siblings described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their long-lost sister.

Relentless Communication Detailed as Scary

Testifying remotely, she described how the accused, the 24-year-old, contacted her multiple times through online platforms and written correspondence. Amelie explained the relentlessness was quite frightening because you don’t know what her next move might be.

Messages from the defendant were read in court, in which she described memories of being in the family home that she said were recalled during hypnotherapy. Amelie told the court, It’s quite disturbing that she’s coming up with these alleged recollections, even though she isn't Maddie.

Fabricated Pictures Increased Distress

Jurors heard that Wandelt had created images of Amelie and herself as children, which the state alleged were made with ChatGPT. Some of these photos were sent through online channels, while others were printed and enclosed in a mail to Amelie.

Amelie said, It was unpleasant, it made me feel very uneasy. She had clearly edited the pictures to make me look more like her, which was quite distressing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I understood it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Household

Amelie also spoke about the impact of the alleged harassment on her parent, Kate, who gave evidence about being approached at home by the defendant and her alleged accomplice, Karen Spragg.

I think my mum found it the most difficult. She was harassed by Julia more than the others in the family and I think it certainly took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie said. It's distressing when a person is pleading with you to believe them and manipulating your feelings, to the point you are questioning yourself.

Brother's Testimony on Anxiety and Digital Scrutiny

In a witness statement read to the court, Sean McCann stated that for him, he had not been too badly affected by Wandelt's alleged stalking. However he had been distressed that she was drawing social media scrutiny, with people saying nasty and unfair comments about his parents.

In the event that she was not suffering from a psychological condition and was fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet continues to assert she is, that will be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sibling. The reality that the defendant is doing this has resulted in a significant amount of anxiety and I find it profoundly disturbing.

The defendant and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to harassing the family family. Proceedings continue.