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Madeleine McCann twin siblings, Amelie and Sean, have testified in court that their encounters with an alleged harasser were deeply disturbing and creepy. The siblings described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who claimed she was their long-lost sister.

Relentless Contact Described as Scary

Testifying remotely, she described how the accused, Julia Wandelt, contacted her multiple times through social media and letters. She said the persistence was quite frightening because it's impossible to predict what her next move might be.

Communications from Wandelt were read in court, in which she described memories of being in the family home that she claimed were recovered under hypnosis. Amelie told the court, It's very upsetting that she's inventing these supposed memories, despite the fact she’s not Maddie.

Altered Pictures Increased Distress

The court heard that Wandelt had produced pictures of Amelie and herself as children, which the prosecution said were made with ChatGPT. Some of these photos were transmitted through online channels, while additional ones were produced physically and included in a mail to her.

Amelie said, I didn’t like it, it caused me to feel very uneasy. She had clearly altered the pictures to make me look more like her, which was quite disturbing. I knew I didn’t look like that, I understood it had been changed.

Psychological Toll on the Household

She also discussed the impact of the alleged harassment on her parent, their mother, who testified about being confronted at her residence by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, Karen Spragg.

In my opinion my mum found it the hardest. She was targeted by Julia more than the others in the family and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her wellbeing, Amelie testified. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to believe them and manipulating your feelings, to the extent you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Testimony on Stress and Digital Attention

In a testimony presented to the trial, her brother said that for him, he had not been too badly affected by Wandelt's alleged stalking. However he had been upset that she was attracting social media scrutiny, with people saying hurtful and unjust comments about his parents.

If Wandelt was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, 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 stress and I consider it profoundly troubling.

Wandelt and Spragg deny stalking the McCann household. The trial continue.