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Maddie McCann's twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their interactions with an alleged harasser were deeply upsetting and unsettling. They described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Relentless Contact Described as Frightening

Appearing remotely, Amelie stated how the accused, the 24-year-old, contacted her repeatedly through online platforms and letters. Amelie explained the persistence was very scary since you don’t know what her next move might be.

Messages from Wandelt were read in court, in which she recounted recollections of being in the family home that she claimed were recalled during hypnotherapy. She testified, It's very disturbing that she’s coming up with these alleged memories, despite the fact she’s not Madeleine.

Fabricated Images Increased Distress

The court heard that the accused had produced images of herself and Amelie as children, which the prosecution alleged were generated with AI tools. A number of these images were sent through online channels, while others were produced physically and enclosed in a letter to Amelie.

She stated, It was unpleasant, it caused me to feel very uncomfortable. It was evident she edited the pictures to make me look more like her, which was quite distressing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Family

Amelie also spoke about the effect of the alleged stalking on her parent, their mother, who testified about being confronted at her residence by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, a 61-year-old woman.

In my opinion my mum experienced it as the most difficult. My mother was harassed by Julia to a greater extent than the others in the family and I believe it definitely took its toll on her and her wellbeing, she testified. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to believe them and playing with your feelings, to the extent you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Statement on Anxiety and Digital Attention

In a witness statement read to the court, her brother said that for him, he had not been severely impacted by the defendant's accused harassment. But he had been upset that she was drawing online attention, with people posting nasty and unfair things about his mother and father.

If she was not mentally ill and was fully aware she is not Maddie, yet makes these claims, that will be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sibling. The reality that the defendant is engaging in this behavior has resulted in a great deal of anxiety and I consider it deeply disturbing.

Wandelt and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to stalking the family household. Proceedings are ongoing.