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Maddie McCann brother and sister, Amelie and Sean, have told the court that their encounters with an accused stalker were extremely upsetting and unsettling. The siblings explained feeling anxious and scared by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Persistent Communication Detailed as Scary

Testifying remotely, she described how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, contacted her repeatedly through social media and letters. She said the relentlessness was quite scary because you don’t know what she’ll do next.

Messages from Wandelt were read in the trial, in which she described recollections of living in the family home that she claimed were recalled under hypnosis. She told the court, It's very disturbing that she's inventing these alleged recollections, despite the fact she’s not Madeleine.

Altered Images Heightened Unease

Jurors learned that the accused had produced images of Amelie and herself as children, which the state alleged were generated with ChatGPT. Some of these photos were sent through online channels, while others were printed and enclosed in a mail to her.

She said, It was unpleasant, it made me feel very uneasy. She had clearly edited the images to make me appear similar to her, which was quite distressing. I was aware I didn't resemble that, I understood it had been manipulated.

Emotional Impact on the Family

Amelie also spoke about the effect of the alleged stalking on her mother, their mother, who gave evidence about being confronted at her residence by the defendant and her co-defendant, Karen Spragg.

I think my mother experienced it as the hardest. My mother was targeted by the defendant more than the others in the family and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her mental health, she testified. It’s upsetting when a person is pleading with you to believe them and playing with your emotions, to the point you are questioning yourself.

Brother's Testimony on Anxiety and Digital Scrutiny

In a testimony presented to the court, Sean McCann stated that personally, he had not been too badly affected by the defendant's alleged stalking. However he had been distressed that she was drawing social media scrutiny, with people posting hurtful and unjust comments about his parents.

In the event that she was not suffering from a psychological condition and was fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that would be very upsetting for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The fact that Julia is doing this has resulted in a great deal of anxiety and I consider it deeply troubling.

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