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Madeleine McCann brother and sister, Amelie and Sean, have testified in court that their encounters with an alleged stalker were deeply disturbing and creepy. They described feeling anxious and scared by a woman who insisted she was their long-lost sister.

Relentless Communication Detailed as Scary

Testifying via video link, Amelie stated how the accused, Julia Wandelt, contacted her repeatedly through online platforms and letters. She said the relentlessness was very scary since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Communications from Wandelt were read in the trial, in which she recounted recollections of being in the McCann household that she said were recalled under hypnosis. Amelie testified, It’s quite upsetting that she's inventing these supposed recollections, despite the fact she’s not Maddie.

Fabricated Pictures Increased Distress

Jurors heard that Wandelt had created pictures of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the state said were generated with ChatGPT. Some of these photos were sent through social media, while additional ones were produced physically and enclosed in a letter to her.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. It was evident she edited the pictures to make me appear similar to her, which was very distressing. I knew I didn’t look like that, I knew it had been changed.

Psychological Toll on the Household

She also spoke about the effect of the alleged stalking on her parent, 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 mother experienced it as the most difficult. My mother was harassed by Julia more than the others in the family and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her mental health, Amelie testified. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to accept their claims and playing with your emotions, to the point you are doubting your own judgment.

Brother's Testimony on Stress and Digital Attention

In a testimony presented to the trial, Sean McCann said that for him, he had not been severely affected by the defendant's accused stalking. But he had been upset that she was attracting social media scrutiny, with people saying nasty and unfair things about his mother and father.

In the event that Wandelt was not suffering from a psychological condition and was fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that would be very upsetting for me, he testified. I am convinced she is my sibling. The fact that the defendant is engaging in this behavior has resulted in a great deal of anxiety and I find it profoundly disturbing.

Wandelt and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to stalking the McCann family. The trial continue.