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Maddie McCann twin siblings, Amelie and Sean, have testified in court that their encounters with an accused stalker were extremely upsetting and unsettling. The siblings described feeling anxious and scared by a woman who claimed she was their long-lost sister.

Persistent Communication Detailed as Frightening

Appearing remotely, she described how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her multiple times through social media and written correspondence. Amelie explained the persistence was quite frightening since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Messages from Wandelt were presented in court, in which she recounted memories of being in the McCann household that she said were recalled during hypnotherapy. She told the court, It’s quite upsetting that she's inventing these alleged recollections, despite the fact she isn't Madeleine.

Fabricated Images Heightened Distress

The court learned that Wandelt had produced images of Amelie and herself as children, which the prosecution said were generated with ChatGPT. A number of these photos were sent through online channels, while others were printed and enclosed in a letter to Amelie.

She stated, I didn’t like it, it caused me to feel very uneasy. She had clearly altered 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.

Emotional Toll on the Household

She also discussed the impact of the supposed harassment on her mother, their mother, who testified about being confronted at home by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, a 61-year-old woman.

In my opinion my mother experienced it as the hardest. She was harassed by Julia to a greater extent than the others in the family and I believe it certainly took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie testified. It's distressing when someone’s begging you to accept their claims and manipulating your emotions, to the point you are doubting your own judgment.

Sibling's Testimony on Stress and Online Scrutiny

In a testimony read to the court, her brother stated that for him, he had not been severely affected by the defendant's alleged harassment. However he had been upset that she was drawing online attention, with people posting hurtful and unjust things about his mother and father.

In the event that Wandelt was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet continues to assert she is, that will be very distressing for me, he testified. I am convinced she is my sister. The reality that the defendant is doing this has caused me a great deal of stress and I find it deeply troubling.

The defendant and Spragg have pleaded not guilty to stalking the McCann household. Proceedings continue.