🔗 Share this article

Maddie McCann's twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their encounters with an alleged harasser were deeply upsetting and creepy. They described feeling anxious and scared by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Persistent Contact Described as Scary

Testifying via video link, she stated how the defendant, the 24-year-old, contacted her multiple times through online platforms and letters. Amelie explained the persistence was very scary because it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were presented in the trial, in which she described recollections of being in the family home that she claimed were recalled during hypnotherapy. She testified, It’s quite disturbing that she's inventing these supposed memories, even though she isn't Madeleine.

Altered Pictures Increased Distress

The court heard that the accused had created pictures of Amelie and herself as children, which the prosecution alleged were generated with AI tools. Some of these photos were sent through online channels, while others were produced physically and enclosed in a mail to Amelie.

She said, It was unpleasant, it made me feel very uneasy. It was evident she altered the images to make me appear similar to her, which was quite disturbing. I was aware I didn’t look like that, I knew it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Household

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

In my opinion my mother found it the hardest. She was harassed by Julia more than the rest of us and I think it definitely took its toll on her and her mental health, she said. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to accept their claims and manipulating your emotions, to the point you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Statement on Anxiety and Online Scrutiny

In a testimony read to the trial, her brother said that personally, he had not been severely impacted by the defendant's accused stalking. But he had been distressed that she was drawing online attention, with people posting nasty and unfair things about his parents.

If Wandelt was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Maddie, yet continues to assert she is, that would be very upsetting for me, he said. I am convinced she is my sibling. The fact that Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of anxiety and I consider it deeply troubling.

The defendant and Spragg deny stalking the family household. Proceedings continue.