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Madeleine McCann's twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their interactions with an alleged harasser were deeply upsetting and unsettling. The siblings described feeling stressed and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their long-lost sister.

Persistent Communication Described as Frightening

Appearing remotely, Amelie described how the accused, Julia Wandelt, contacted her repeatedly through online platforms and letters. She said the relentlessness was very frightening since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were presented in the trial, in which she described memories of living in the family home that she said were recovered under hypnosis. She told the court, It’s quite upsetting that she's inventing these supposed recollections, even though she’s not Maddie.

Fabricated Images Heightened Unease

The court learned that Wandelt had created pictures of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the state alleged were made with ChatGPT. Some of these images were sent through online channels, while others were printed and included in a mail to her.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uncomfortable. She had clearly altered the images to make me appear similar to her, which was very distressing. I was aware I didn’t look like that, I knew it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Family

Amelie also spoke about the effect of the supposed harassment on her mother, their mother, who gave evidence about being confronted at home by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, Karen Spragg.

I think my mother found it the hardest. She was harassed by the defendant to a greater extent than the rest of us and I think it certainly took its toll 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 questioning yourself.

Sibling's Testimony on Anxiety and Online Attention

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

If Wandelt was not suffering from a psychological condition 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 sibling. The fact that Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of anxiety and I consider it deeply disturbing.

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