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Madeleine McCann's brother and sister, Sean and Amelie, have told the court that their encounters with an alleged stalker were extremely disturbing and unsettling. They described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who claimed she was their long-lost sister.

Persistent Contact Described as Scary

Appearing via video link, Amelie stated how the accused, the 24-year-old, contacted her repeatedly through online platforms and letters. She said the persistence was quite frightening because you don’t know what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were presented in court, in which she recounted recollections of living in the McCann household that she claimed were recovered under hypnosis. Amelie told the court, It’s quite upsetting that she’s coming up with these supposed recollections, despite the fact she isn't Maddie.

Fabricated Images Heightened Unease

The court heard that Wandelt had created pictures of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the state said were generated with ChatGPT. Some of these images were transmitted through social media, while others were produced physically and included in a mail to Amelie.

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

Emotional Impact on the Household

She also discussed the impact of the supposed stalking on her mother, their mother, who testified about being approached at her residence by the defendant and her co-defendant, Karen Spragg.

I think my mum experienced it as the most difficult. My mother was harassed by Julia more than the others in the family and I think it certainly took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie said. It’s upsetting when a person is pleading with you to believe them and playing with your emotions, to the point you are doubting your own judgment.

Brother's Testimony on Anxiety and Digital Attention

In a witness statement presented to the court, her brother stated that for him, he had not been too badly affected by Wandelt's accused stalking. But he had been upset that she was drawing social media scrutiny, with people posting hurtful and unjust comments about his mother and father.

If Wandelt was not suffering from a psychological condition and was completely conscious she is not Maddie, yet makes these claims, that will be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The reality that Julia is doing this has caused me a significant amount of stress and I find it deeply disturbing.

Wandelt and Spragg deny harassing the McCann household. The trial are ongoing.