Amanda Wixon, 56, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for keeping a woman in servitude for more than 25 years at her home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The victim, who has learning disabilities, was 16 when she moved into Wixon's home in the mid-1990s for what was supposed to be a weekend stay, but remained until police discovered her in 2021.
Gloucester Crown Court heard that Wixon beat the woman, squirted washing-up liquid down her throat, splashed bleach on her face and shaved her head against her will. She also hit her with a broom handle, knocking out teeth, and forced her head down the toilet. The victim lived off scraps, was not allowed to leave the house, and had to wash secretly at night. Her benefit payments, totalling £100,000, were paid into Wixon's account.
In a statement released after sentencing, the woman said: "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. The trauma and the nightmares are something I still carry with me every day." She added: "Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost." She is now living with a family who are helping her rebuild her life.
The case has prompted calls for social services to explain how the victim slipped through the net. The court heard that social services were involved with the family in the late 1990s, but there was no record of contact since. One neighbour said she had raised concerns but nothing was done, saying: "Social services failed her massively." Prosecution barrister Sam Jones said: "The fact remains that nothing was done by social services." The victim had no medical or dental records and had not seen a doctor in two decades.
Wixon was found guilty of false imprisonment, requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Police body-worn footage showed Wixon describing the victim as "quite reclusive". When asked when the woman had last had a bath, Wixon said: "I can't really remember."
The charity Unseen, which supports victims of modern slavery, called for better training for professionals. Lauren Saunders, its deputy director of frontline services, said awareness of domestic servitude is "really really low" because it occurs in private homes. The charity reported a 37% rise in victims of modern slavery, with its helpline receiving reports of more than 6,600 victims in 2025. Beki Hoyland, leader of the Green group on Gloucestershire County Council, said the case represented "a serious breach of safeguarding duty".
