Maddie McCann's Brother and Sister Describe Alleged Stalker's Actions as Deeply Upsetting and Unsettling

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

Persistent Communication Described as Scary

Appearing via video link, she stated how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her multiple times through social media and written correspondence. Amelie explained the relentlessness was very frightening since you don’t know what her next move might be.

Messages from Wandelt were read in court, in which she described recollections of living in the McCann household that she said were recalled under hypnosis. Amelie testified, It's very upsetting that she’s coming up with these supposed memories, despite the fact she’s not Maddie.

Altered Pictures Heightened Unease

Jurors heard that the accused had created images of herself and Amelie as children, which the state said were generated with AI tools. A number of these photos were transmitted through social media, while additional ones were printed and included in a mail to her.

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

Psychological Toll on the Family

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

In my opinion my mum experienced it as the most difficult. My mother was targeted by Julia more than the others in the family and I believe it certainly took its toll on her and her wellbeing, she testified. It's distressing when a person is pleading with you to accept their claims and manipulating your emotions, to the point you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Testimony on Anxiety and Online Attention

In a testimony read to the trial, Sean McCann said that personally, he had not been too badly impacted by the defendant's alleged stalking. But he had been distressed that she was attracting 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 Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that will be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The reality that the defendant is engaging in this behavior has caused me a significant amount of anxiety and I consider it deeply troubling.

The defendant and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to stalking the family family. Proceedings continue.