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Maddie McCann twin siblings, Amelie and Sean, have told the court that their encounters with an accused harasser were deeply disturbing and unsettling. The siblings explained feeling stressed and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their long-lost sister.

Relentless Contact Detailed as Scary

Testifying remotely, Amelie stated how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her repeatedly through online platforms and written correspondence. She said the persistence was quite frightening because it's impossible to predict what her next move might be.

Communications from Wandelt were read in court, in which she described memories of being in the family home that she claimed were recalled under hypnosis. Amelie told the court, It's very upsetting that she's inventing these alleged recollections, despite the fact she’s not Maddie.

Fabricated Images Increased Distress

The court learned that the accused had produced images of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the state said were made with AI tools. Some of these photos were sent through social media, while others were printed and included in a mail to Amelie.

Amelie said, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. It was evident she edited the pictures to make me appear similar to her, which was quite disturbing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I understood it had been changed.

Emotional Toll on the Family

Amelie also spoke about the impact of the alleged stalking on her mother, their mother, who testified about being approached at home by the defendant and her co-defendant, a 61-year-old woman.

I think my mother found it the hardest. My mother was targeted by Julia more than the others in the family and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her mental health, Amelie said. It’s upsetting when someone’s pleading with you to believe them and manipulating your feelings, to the extent you are questioning yourself.

Brother's Statement on Stress and Digital Attention

In a testimony presented to the trial, Sean McCann said that personally, he had not been too badly affected by the defendant's accused stalking. However he had been distressed that she was drawing social media scrutiny, with people saying nasty and unfair things about his parents.

If she was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that will be very upsetting for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The fact that Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of stress and I consider it profoundly disturbing.

The defendant and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to harassing the McCann household. Proceedings are ongoing.