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Maddie McCann's twin siblings, Amelie and Sean, have told the court that their encounters with an alleged stalker were extremely upsetting and unsettling. They described feeling stressed and scared by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Persistent Communication Detailed as Frightening

Appearing via video link, Amelie stated how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her repeatedly through online platforms and letters. She said the persistence was quite scary since it's impossible to predict what her next move might be.

Messages from the defendant were read in the trial, in which she described memories of being in the family home that she claimed were recalled under hypnosis. She testified, It's very upsetting that she’s coming up with these alleged memories, even though she’s not Maddie.

Altered Images Heightened Distress

Jurors heard that the accused had produced images of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the state alleged were made with ChatGPT. Some of these images were sent through social media, while others were produced physically and included in a mail to Amelie.

Amelie stated, 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 was aware I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been manipulated.

Psychological Toll on the Family

She also discussed the impact of the supposed harassment on her parent, Kate, who testified about being approached at home by Wandelt and her co-defendant, Karen Spragg.

I think my mum experienced it as the most difficult. She was targeted by the defendant more than the rest of us and I think it definitely had a negative effect on her and her mental health, Amelie testified. It’s upsetting when someone’s begging you to accept their claims and manipulating your feelings, to the point you are doubting your own judgment.

Brother's Statement on Stress and Digital Attention

In a testimony read to the court, Sean McCann said that for him, he had not been severely impacted by Wandelt's accused stalking. However he had been distressed that she was attracting social media scrutiny, with people saying hurtful and unjust things about his mother and father.

If she was not mentally ill and was fully aware she is not Maddie, yet continues to assert she is, that would be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The fact that Julia is doing this has caused me a significant amount of stress and I find it deeply troubling.

The defendant and Spragg deny stalking the family family. The trial are ongoing.