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Maddie McCann's brother and sister, Amelie and Sean, have told the court that their encounters with an accused stalker were extremely disturbing and creepy. They described feeling anxious and scared by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Persistent Contact Described as Frightening

Appearing via video link, she stated how the defendant, the 24-year-old, reached out to her repeatedly through online platforms and written correspondence. Amelie explained the persistence was quite frightening since you don’t know what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were read in court, in which she recounted memories of living in the family home that she claimed were recovered during hypnotherapy. She told the court, It’s quite disturbing that she's inventing these supposed memories, even though she isn't Madeleine.

Altered Pictures Increased Unease

Jurors learned that the accused had created pictures of Amelie and herself as children, which the state alleged were made with AI tools. Some of these photos were transmitted through social media, while others were printed and included in a mail to her.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. It was evident she altered the pictures to make me look more like her, which was very disturbing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been changed.

Psychological Toll on the Family

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

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 believe it definitely took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie testified. It's distressing when someone’s pleading with you to accept their claims and manipulating your emotions, to the extent you are doubting your own judgment.

Sibling's Testimony on Anxiety and Digital Attention

In a witness statement presented to the court, Sean McCann stated that for him, he had not been severely affected by Wandelt's accused harassment. However he had been distressed that she was drawing social media scrutiny, with people saying nasty and unfair comments about his parents.

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 said. I am convinced she is my sister. The fact that the defendant is doing this has resulted in a great deal of anxiety and I consider it profoundly disturbing.

The defendant and her co-defendant have pleaded not guilty to harassing the family family. Proceedings continue.