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Madeleine McCann's twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have told the court that their interactions with an accused stalker were deeply upsetting and creepy. They explained feeling stressed and scared by a woman who claimed she was their missing sister.

Persistent Contact Detailed as Scary

Testifying remotely, Amelie stated how the accused, the 24-year-old, reached out to her multiple times through online platforms and letters. Amelie explained the persistence was very frightening because you don’t know what she’ll do next.

Communications from Wandelt were read in court, in which she recounted recollections of being in the McCann household that she said were recalled during hypnotherapy. Amelie testified, It's very disturbing that she's inventing these alleged memories, even though she isn't Maddie.

Fabricated Pictures Increased Distress

The court heard that Wandelt had produced images of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the prosecution said were generated with AI tools. Some of these photos were sent through online channels, while others were printed and included in a letter to Amelie.

Amelie stated, It was unpleasant, it caused me to feel very uncomfortable. It was evident she edited the images to make me appear similar to her, which was very disturbing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I understood it had been changed.

Emotional Toll on the Household

Amelie also discussed the impact of the alleged harassment on her parent, Kate, who gave evidence about being confronted at home by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, a 61-year-old woman.

I think my mother experienced it as the hardest. She was harassed by Julia to a greater extent than the rest of us and I believe it certainly had a negative effect on her and her mental health, she said. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to believe them and playing with your feelings, to the extent you are doubting your own judgment.

Sibling's Statement on Anxiety and Digital Attention

In a testimony read to the court, Sean McCann said that personally, he had not been severely impacted by Wandelt's alleged stalking. But he had been upset that she was drawing online attention, with people saying nasty and unfair things about his mother and father.

In the event that she was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Maddie, yet continues to assert she is, that will be very distressing for me, he testified. I am convinced she is my sister. The reality that Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of anxiety and I consider it profoundly disturbing.

Wandelt and her co-defendant deny stalking the family family. The trial are ongoing.