A shocking case of modern-day slavery has culminated in the conviction of a mother-of-ten who held a vulnerable woman captive in her squalid home for a quarter of a century. Amanda Wixon, 56, from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, was found guilty of multiple offences including false imprisonment and requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.
A life of captivity and abuse
In 1997, Wixon agreed to care for her friend's 16-year-old daughter, who has learning difficulties, for a single weekend. Instead of providing safety, she imprisoned the teenager in her dilapidated home, subjecting her to decades of relentless abuse and exploitation. The victim, now in her 40s, was forbidden from leaving the property, denied basic hygiene, and forced to survive on meagre scraps of food.
Horrific living conditions revealed
Jurors at Gloucester Crown Court heard harrowing details of the woman's ordeal. She was compelled to clean Wixon's home and assist in caring for the ten children, all under the constant threat of violence. Her bedroom was described as a damp, mould-infested prison cell with unpainted walls, where she slept for years.
When police finally intervened in 2021, following a tip-off from one of Wixon's sons, they discovered the victim bruised, emaciated, and with no teeth due to sustained abuse. Bodycam footage presented in court depicted her as thin, unwashed, and visibly terrified. She revealed she had not bathed in over a year and suffered from scarring on her lips and face, as well as large calluses on her feet and ankles from being forced to clean floors on her hands and knees.
Financial exploitation and failed interventions
Wixon callously profited from her victim's plight, cashing in on her benefits payments. Financial records showed she received over £33,000 between 2016 and 2021 alone, with prosecutors estimating the total sum since the late 1990s to be substantially higher. Despite neighbours repeatedly alerting social services to the abuse, no effective action was taken for decades, leaving the woman trapped in what one witness described as a "house of horrors."
Brave escape and emotional recovery
The victim's liberation came in 2021 when she used a secretly hidden phone to contact authorities. During her captivity, she had bravely recorded voice notes detailing the assaults, which included being stamped on, punched, pushed down stairs, and strangled. Wixon, chillingly nicknamed 'The Witch' by her victim, even shaved off all her hair and forced washing-up liquid down her throat.
Since her rescue, the woman has been placed with a foster family, where she is reportedly thriving. She now attends college, has enjoyed holidays abroad, and was overcome with emotion after receiving dentures and seeing herself with teeth for the first time in years. However, the trauma of her ordeal persists, manifesting in nightmares and a compulsive urge to clean.
Courtroom drama and sentencing
Wixon showed no remorse throughout the trial, dismissing the allegations as "a tale of fantasy and lies." Her defence argued that the entire family lived in squalid conditions, with children suffering from neglect, including rotting teeth and head lice. However, the jury convicted her on multiple counts, acquitting her only of one assault charge.
As she left court, Wixon was asked if she had anything to say to her victim. She replied, "Not a lot," and when questioned about remorse, stated, "No. I never done it." Detective Sergeant Alex Pockett of Gloucestershire Police described the case as unprecedented, emphasising the profound impact on the victim, who had been "treated horrendously."
Systemic failures and ongoing support
The case has exposed glaring failures in social services, with records indicating no contact with the victim since the late 1990s. She had no medical or dental records for over two decades, effectively vanishing into what the prosecutor termed a "black hole." Gloucestershire County Council has since stated that its Adult Social Care services are now supporting the victim.
This tragic story underscores the urgent need for vigilance and intervention in cases of exploitation. Charities like Unseen UK provide crucial support for those affected by modern slavery, offering a helpline and resources to help victims rebuild their lives.
