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Maddie McCann's twin siblings, Amelie and Sean, have told the court that their interactions with an accused harasser were extremely upsetting and creepy. They described feeling anxious and frightened by a woman who insisted she was their long-lost sister.

Persistent Contact Described as Scary

Appearing remotely, she stated how the defendant, the 24-year-old, contacted her multiple times through online platforms and written correspondence. She said the relentlessness was quite scary since it's impossible to predict what she’ll do next.

Communications from the defendant were read in court, in which she described memories of being in the McCann household that she said were recovered under hypnosis. She testified, It’s quite upsetting that she's inventing these supposed memories, even though she’s not Madeleine.

Fabricated Pictures Heightened Unease

Jurors learned that Wandelt had produced images of Amelie and herself as children, which the state said were made with AI tools. A number of these photos were sent through online channels, while others were printed and enclosed in a letter to Amelie.

She said, I didn’t like it, it made me feel very uneasy. It was evident she edited the images to make me appear similar to her, which was very disturbing. I knew I didn't resemble that, I knew it had been changed.

Emotional Impact on the Family

She also spoke about the effect of the alleged harassment on her mother, their mother, who testified about being confronted at her residence by Wandelt and her co-defendant, a 61-year-old woman.

I think my mum found it the most difficult. She was targeted by Julia more than the others in the family and I think it certainly had a negative effect on her and her wellbeing, Amelie said. It's distressing when someone’s begging you to accept their claims and manipulating your emotions, to the point you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Statement on Anxiety and Online Attention

In a testimony read to the court, her brother stated that personally, he had not been too badly impacted by Wandelt's alleged harassment. 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 suffering from a psychological condition and was completely conscious she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims, that will be very distressing for me, he said. I do not believe she is my sibling. 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 harassing the McCann family. Proceedings continue.