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Madeleine McCann's brother and sister, Amelie and Sean, have told the court that their encounters with an alleged stalker were deeply disturbing and creepy. They explained feeling anxious and scared by a woman who insisted she was their missing sister.

Relentless Communication Detailed as Scary

Appearing via video link, Amelie described how the defendant, the 24-year-old, reached out to her repeatedly through social media and written correspondence. Amelie explained the persistence was very scary because it's impossible to predict what her next move might be.

Communications from the defendant were presented in the trial, in which she recounted recollections of being in the family home that she claimed were recovered during hypnotherapy. She told the court, It's very upsetting that she’s coming up with these supposed memories, despite the fact she isn't Madeleine.

Altered Pictures Heightened Distress

The court learned that Wandelt had produced images of herself and Amelie as children, 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 her.

She said, It was unpleasant, it made me feel very uncomfortable. It was evident she edited the pictures to make me look more like her, which was very distressing. I knew I didn’t look like that, I understood it had been manipulated.

Emotional Toll on the Household

Amelie also spoke about the effect of the alleged harassment on her mother, their mother, who gave evidence about being confronted at her residence by Wandelt and her alleged accomplice, a 61-year-old woman.

In my opinion my mother found it the most difficult. She was targeted by the defendant more than the rest of us and I believe it certainly had a negative effect on her and her wellbeing, Amelie said. It’s upsetting 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 Digital Attention

In a witness statement presented to the trial, Sean McCann said that for him, he had not been too badly affected by Wandelt's alleged stalking. But he had been distressed that she was attracting online attention, with people posting hurtful and unjust things about his parents.

If she was not mentally ill and was completely conscious she is not Maddie, yet makes these claims, that would be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sister. The reality that the defendant is doing this has caused me a great deal of anxiety and I consider it deeply troubling.

The defendant and her co-defendant have pleaded not guilty to harassing the family household. Proceedings continue.