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Madeleine McCann brother and sister, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their encounters with an accused harasser were extremely upsetting and creepy. The siblings explained feeling anxious and scared by a woman who claimed she was their long-lost sister.

Relentless Contact Described as Scary

Testifying via video link, Amelie stated how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her repeatedly through online platforms and written correspondence. She said the persistence was very frightening since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Messages from Wandelt were presented in the trial, in which she recounted memories of being in the family home that she claimed were recalled under hypnosis. She told the court, It's very upsetting that she's inventing these alleged recollections, despite the fact she’s not Maddie.

Fabricated Images Heightened Unease

The court heard that the accused had produced images of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the state said were made with AI tools. Some of these images were transmitted through online channels, while others were printed and enclosed in a mail to her.

She stated, It was unpleasant, it made me feel very uneasy. It was evident she edited the pictures to make me appear similar to her, which was quite distressing. I knew I didn't resemble that, I understood it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Household

She also discussed the impact of the supposed harassment on her parent, Kate, who testified about being confronted at her residence by Wandelt and her co-defendant, a 61-year-old woman.

In my opinion my mother found it the most difficult. My mother was targeted by the defendant more than the others in the family and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her wellbeing, she testified. It's distressing when a person is begging you to believe them and playing with your feelings, to the extent you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Statement on Anxiety and Online Scrutiny

In a testimony read to the court, Sean McCann stated that personally, he had not been too badly impacted by Wandelt's alleged stalking. However he had been upset that she was attracting online attention, with people saying hurtful and unjust things about his mother and father.

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 upsetting for me, he testified. I do not believe she is my sister. The reality that Julia is engaging in this behavior has caused me a great deal of anxiety and I consider it profoundly disturbing.

The defendant and her co-defendant deny harassing the family family. Proceedings continue.