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Maddie McCann twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their encounters with an accused stalker were deeply upsetting and unsettling. The siblings described feeling stressed and frightened by a woman who claimed she was their missing sister.

Relentless Contact Detailed as Scary

Appearing remotely, Amelie described how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her multiple times through online platforms and letters. She said the persistence was very frightening since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Messages from the defendant were presented in court, in which she recounted memories of living in the McCann household that she said were recalled during hypnotherapy. Amelie testified, It's very upsetting that she’s coming up with these supposed memories, despite the fact she’s not Maddie.

Fabricated Images Heightened Unease

Jurors heard that Wandelt had created pictures of herself and Amelie as children, which the prosecution said were made with ChatGPT. A number of these photos were transmitted through online channels, while others were produced physically and included in a letter to Amelie.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it caused me to feel very uncomfortable. She had clearly edited the images to make me appear similar to her, which was quite disturbing. I knew I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Family

She also spoke about the impact of the supposed harassment on her parent, their mother, who gave evidence about being approached at home by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, Karen Spragg.

In my opinion my mother found it the hardest. My mother was targeted by Julia more than the others in the family and I believe it definitely took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie testified. It's distressing when a person is begging you to accept their claims and playing with your emotions, to the point you are doubting your own judgment.

Sibling's Statement on Stress and Digital Attention

In a testimony presented to the court, Sean McCann said that personally, he had not been too badly impacted by Wandelt's alleged harassment. But he had been upset that she was drawing online attention, with people posting hurtful and unjust things about his parents.

In the event that Wandelt was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet continues to assert she is, that would be very distressing for me, he testified. I do not believe she is my sister. The fact that the defendant is engaging in this behavior has resulted in a great deal of anxiety and I find it deeply troubling.

Wandelt and her co-defendant have pleaded not guilty to stalking the family household. Proceedings are ongoing.