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Madeleine McCann twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have told the court that their encounters with an accused stalker were extremely upsetting and unsettling. The siblings explained feeling anxious and scared by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Relentless Communication Detailed as Scary

Testifying via video link, she stated how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her repeatedly through online platforms and letters. She said the relentlessness was quite scary because it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Messages from Wandelt were presented in court, in which she described recollections of being in the McCann household that she said were recovered under hypnosis. Amelie testified, It's very upsetting that she’s coming up with these alleged memories, even though she’s not Madeleine.

Altered Pictures Heightened Distress

Jurors learned that Wandelt had created images of Amelie and herself as young girls, which the state alleged were made with AI tools. Some of these images were transmitted through online channels, while others were produced physically and included in a mail to her.

She said, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. She had clearly altered the images to make me appear similar to her, which was quite disturbing. I was aware I didn’t look like that, I understood it had been changed.

Psychological Impact on the Family

Amelie also discussed the effect of the supposed harassment on her mother, their mother, who testified about being approached at her residence by the defendant and her alleged accomplice, a 61-year-old woman.

I think my mum found it the hardest. My mother was harassed by the defendant more than the rest of us and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her mental health, she said. It’s upsetting when a person is pleading with you to believe them and manipulating your feelings, to the extent you are questioning yourself.

Brother's Statement on Anxiety and Online Scrutiny

In a testimony read to the trial, Sean McCann said that for him, he had not been too badly impacted by Wandelt's accused harassment. However he had been upset that she was drawing online attention, with people saying hurtful and unjust things about his mother and father.

If Wandelt was not suffering from a psychological condition and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that would be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The fact that the defendant is doing this has resulted in a great deal of stress and I consider it profoundly troubling.

Wandelt and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to stalking the family family. The trial are ongoing.