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Maddie McCann's brother and sister, Sean and Amelie, have testified in court that their interactions with an alleged harasser were deeply upsetting and creepy. They explained feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their long-lost sister.

Relentless Contact Described as Scary

Appearing remotely, Amelie described how the accused, the 24-year-old, reached out to her multiple times through online platforms and written correspondence. She said the relentlessness was quite frightening because it's impossible to predict what her next move might be.

Messages from Wandelt were read in court, in which she recounted memories of being in the McCann household that she claimed were recalled under hypnosis. She testified, It's very disturbing that she's inventing these alleged memories, despite the fact she’s not Madeleine.

Altered Pictures Heightened Unease

Jurors learned that Wandelt had created pictures of herself and Amelie as young girls, which the prosecution said were made with AI tools. Some of these images were sent through social media, while others were printed and enclosed in a mail to Amelie.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it caused me to feel very uncomfortable. She had clearly edited the images to make me appear similar to her, which was very distressing. I knew I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been changed.

Psychological Toll on the Family

She also spoke about the impact of the supposed harassment on her parent, their mother, who testified about being approached at her residence by the defendant and her alleged accomplice, a 61-year-old woman.

I think my mum experienced it as the hardest. My mother was harassed by the defendant more than the rest of us and I believe it definitely took its toll on her and her mental health, Amelie testified. It's distressing when someone’s begging you to accept their claims and playing with your emotions, to the extent you are doubting your own judgment.

Sibling's Statement on Anxiety and Digital Attention

In a witness statement read to the court, Sean McCann said that personally, he had not been severely impacted by the defendant's alleged stalking. But he had been distressed that she was attracting online attention, with people saying hurtful and unjust comments about his mother and father.

In the event that Wandelt was not suffering from a psychological condition and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet continues to assert she is, that would be very upsetting for me, he testified. I do not believe she is my sister. The reality that the defendant is doing this has resulted in a significant amount of anxiety and I find it deeply troubling.

Wandelt and her co-defendant deny harassing the McCann household. Proceedings are ongoing.