🔗 Share this article

Maddie McCann's twin siblings, Amelie and Sean, have testified in court that their interactions with an alleged stalker were deeply disturbing and unsettling. They explained feeling stressed and frightened by a woman who claimed she was their missing sister.

Relentless Communication Described as Scary

Testifying remotely, Amelie described how the defendant, Julia Wandelt, reached out to her multiple times through social media and letters. Amelie explained the relentlessness was quite frightening because you don’t know what her next move might be.

Communications from the defendant were read in the trial, in which she recounted recollections of living in the family home that she claimed were recalled during hypnotherapy. Amelie told the court, It’s quite upsetting that she’s coming up with these alleged memories, despite the fact she’s not Madeleine.

Fabricated Images Heightened Distress

The court learned that the accused had produced images of Amelie and herself as children, which the prosecution said were made with ChatGPT. Some of these photos were transmitted through social media, while additional ones were printed and included in a mail to Amelie.

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

Psychological Impact on the Family

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

I think my mum found it the most difficult. She was targeted by the defendant more than the others in the family and I believe it definitely took its toll on her and her wellbeing, Amelie testified. It’s upsetting when a person is pleading with you to believe them and playing with your feelings, to the extent you are questioning yourself.

Sibling's Testimony on Anxiety and Online Attention

In a testimony read to the trial, her brother stated that personally, he had not been severely affected by Wandelt's alleged stalking. But he had been distressed that she was attracting social media scrutiny, with people saying hurtful and unjust comments about his mother and father.

In the event that she was not suffering from a psychological condition and was fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet continues to assert she is, that would be very upsetting for me, he testified. I am convinced she is my sister. The fact that Julia is engaging in this behavior has resulted in a significant amount of stress and I find it deeply disturbing.

Wandelt and her co-defendant have pleaded not guilty to stalking the McCann household. The trial are ongoing.