Maddie McCann's Brother and Sister Detail Alleged Stalker's Actions as Deeply Disturbing and Unsettling

Maddie McCann twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their interactions with an accused harasser were extremely disturbing and creepy. The siblings described feeling stressed and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Relentless Communication Described as Frightening

Testifying remotely, Amelie described how the accused, Julia Wandelt, contacted her multiple times through online platforms and letters. She said the relentlessness was very scary 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 family home that she claimed were recovered during hypnotherapy. She told the court, It's very upsetting that she's inventing these supposed memories, even though she isn't Maddie.

Fabricated Pictures Heightened Distress

Jurors learned that the accused had produced images of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the prosecution alleged were generated with AI tools. A number of these images were sent through social media, while others were printed and included in a letter to her.

Amelie said, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uncomfortable. 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 knew it had been changed.

Emotional Impact on the Household

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

I think my mum experienced it as the hardest. She was targeted by the defendant more than the rest of us and I believe it definitely had a negative effect on her and her wellbeing, Amelie said. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to believe them and manipulating your feelings, to the extent you are doubting your own judgment.

Brother's Statement on Anxiety and Digital Scrutiny

In a witness statement read to the trial, Sean McCann stated that personally, he had not been severely affected by the defendant's accused harassment. But he had been distressed that she was drawing social media scrutiny, with people saying hurtful and unjust things about his parents.

If Wandelt was not mentally ill and was fully aware she is not Maddie, yet makes these claims, that would be very upsetting for me, he testified. I do not believe she is my sister. The reality that Julia is doing this has resulted in a great deal of stress and I consider it deeply disturbing.

Wandelt and Spragg deny stalking the McCann family. The trial continue.