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Madeleine McCann's brother and sister, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their encounters with an accused harasser were extremely upsetting and unsettling. They described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who claimed she was their missing sister.

Relentless Communication Detailed as Scary

Appearing via video link, Amelie described how the defendant, the 24-year-old, reached out to her multiple times through online platforms and letters. Amelie explained the persistence was very scary since you don’t know what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were presented in the trial, in which she recounted memories of being in the family home that she claimed were recovered under hypnosis. Amelie testified, It's very disturbing that she's inventing these alleged memories, even though she isn't Madeleine.

Fabricated Pictures Heightened Distress

The court learned that Wandelt had produced images of Amelie and herself as young girls, which the state alleged were generated with ChatGPT. A number of these images were transmitted through online channels, while others were produced physically and included in a mail to her.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. She had clearly edited the images to make me look more like her, which was very distressing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been changed.

Emotional Impact on the Household

She also spoke about the impact of the supposed harassment on her mother, Kate, who testified about being approached at her residence by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, Karen Spragg.

In my opinion my mother found it the most difficult. My mother was targeted by Julia to a greater extent than the others in the family and I think it definitely had a negative effect on her and her mental health, she testified. It's distressing when someone’s begging you to believe them and playing with your emotions, to the extent you are doubting your own judgment.

Brother's Statement on Stress and Online Attention

In a witness statement presented to the court, her brother stated that for him, he had not been severely impacted by Wandelt's alleged stalking. But he had been distressed that she was drawing online attention, with people saying nasty and unfair things about his parents.

If she was not suffering from a psychological condition and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that will be very upsetting for me, he testified. I am convinced she is my sister. The reality that the defendant is doing this has resulted in a great deal of stress and I find it profoundly disturbing.

The defendant and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to stalking the McCann household. The trial are ongoing.