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

Persistent Communication Described as Frightening

Testifying remotely, Amelie described how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her repeatedly through social media and written correspondence. She said the relentlessness was very frightening since you don’t know what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were presented in court, in which she recounted recollections of living in the family home that she said were recalled under hypnosis. Amelie testified, It's very upsetting that she's inventing these supposed recollections, even though she’s not Maddie.

Altered Pictures Increased Unease

The court heard that Wandelt had produced images of Amelie and herself as young girls, which the prosecution said were made with AI tools. Some of these images were transmitted through online channels, while additional ones were printed and enclosed in a letter to Amelie.

She said, 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 quite disturbing. I knew I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been manipulated.

Psychological Toll on the Household

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

I think my mum found it the hardest. She was harassed by the defendant more than the rest of us and I believe it certainly took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie testified. It’s upsetting when a person is begging you to believe them and manipulating your emotions, to the extent you are doubting your own judgment.

Brother's Testimony on Anxiety and Online Attention

In a witness statement read to the trial, her brother said that personally, he had not been severely impacted by the defendant's accused stalking. But he had been distressed that she was attracting online attention, with people posting nasty and unfair things about his mother and father.

If Wandelt was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Maddie, yet makes these claims, that will be very distressing for me, he testified. I do not believe she is my sibling. The fact that the defendant is engaging in this behavior has resulted in a significant amount of stress and I consider it profoundly troubling.

Wandelt and Spragg deny stalking the McCann household. Proceedings are ongoing.