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Madeleine McCann brother and sister, Amelie and Sean, have testified in court that their encounters with an alleged stalker were extremely disturbing and creepy. They described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who claimed she was their long-lost sister.

Persistent Communication Described as Scary

Testifying via video link, Amelie described how the defendant, the 24-year-old, contacted her repeatedly through online platforms and written correspondence. Amelie explained the relentlessness was quite frightening since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Messages from the defendant were presented in the trial, in which she described memories of being in the McCann household that she claimed were recovered under hypnosis. She testified, It's very upsetting that she’s coming up with these supposed recollections, despite the fact she isn't Madeleine.

Fabricated Images Increased Unease

Jurors learned that Wandelt had produced pictures of Amelie and herself as young girls, which the state alleged were generated with ChatGPT. A number of these images were sent through social media, while others were produced physically and included in a mail to Amelie.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. She had clearly altered the pictures to make me appear similar to her, which was very distressing. I was aware I didn’t look like that, I understood it had been manipulated.

Psychological Toll on the Household

She also discussed the impact of the supposed harassment on her mother, Kate, who testified about being approached at home by Wandelt and her co-defendant, a 61-year-old woman.

I think my mother found it the most difficult. My mother was targeted by the defendant to a greater extent than the rest of us and I think it definitely took its toll on her and her mental health, Amelie testified. It's distressing when a person is pleading with you to believe them 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 for him, he had not been severely impacted by the defendant's accused stalking. But he had been distressed that she was attracting online attention, with people posting hurtful and unjust things about his mother and father.

If Wandelt was not suffering from a psychological condition and was fully aware she is not Maddie, yet makes these claims, that will be very upsetting for me, he said. I am convinced she is my sister. The fact that the defendant is engaging in this behavior has resulted in a significant amount of stress and I find it profoundly disturbing.

Wandelt and her co-defendant deny stalking the McCann household. The trial are ongoing.