A woman who was kept as a slave for 25 years remains terrified of her abuser, whom she calls ‘The Witch’, her foster carer has revealed. Amanda Wixon, 56, was jailed for 13 years on Thursday after being convicted of false imprisonment, forced labour, and assault.
The victim, who has a learning disability and is now in her mid-40s, was 16 when she moved into Wixon’s home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in 1995. She was regularly beaten, had her teeth knocked out, and was subjected to horrific abuse including having washing-up liquid squirted down her throat and bleach splashed on her face.
Her foster mother said the victim broke down in hysterics when she accidentally encountered Wixon in a supermarket. “She called her The Witch. She’s really scared of her. She’s petrified actually,” the foster mother said.
The victim said in a statement: “For 25 years, I lived in fear, control and abuse. I was treated as though my life, my freedom and my voice did not matter.” She added that she is now slowly rebuilding her life with a supportive foster family.
The foster mother called for an inquiry into how the woman remained undetected for over two decades. Social services were involved with the Wixon family in the late 1990s, but no records of further contact exist. “There needs to be a shake-up,” she said. “I hope that nobody else goes through what she’s been through.”
