Mother-of-ten receives 13-year sentence for decades-long enslavement
Amanda Wixon, a 56-year-old mother of ten children, has been sentenced to thirteen years imprisonment after being found guilty of multiple modern slavery offences, false imprisonment, and assault. The conviction follows a harrowing case where Wixon kept a woman as a domestic slave for twenty-five years within her overcrowded and squalid home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
Decades of captivity and deception revealed
The victim, now in her mid-forties, was just sixteen years old when she moved into Wixon's residence in 1995. She remained trapped there until her rescue by police in 2021, following a crucial tip-off. Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher, who led the investigation, described how Wixon systematically deceived neighbours and family members about the woman's whereabouts.
"Wixon deliberately lied to people, claiming the victim had moved to Scotland with a boyfriend," Det Supt Fletcher stated. "This deception allowed her to essentially keep the woman captive inside the property, not even permitting her to go into the garden. The psychological control, combined with physical violence, created a situation where escape felt impossible."
Systematic abuse and horrific living conditions
Gloucester Crown Court heard disturbing details of the abuse inflicted over the quarter-century period. The victim, who refers to Wixon as "The Witch," was subjected to repeated beatings with a broom handle, which knocked out teeth and caused painful abscesses. She endured having washing-up liquid squirted down her throat, bleach splashed on her face, and her head forcibly shaved against her will.
Her existence was one of extreme deprivation: food was severely limited to scraps, she was prohibited from leaving the house, and was forced to wash secretly during night hours. The Tewkesbury home itself was described as overcrowded and filthy, with mould covering the walls. However, the victim's bedroom was in the worst condition of all, characterised by investigators as "absolute squalor."
A case of profound dehumanisation
Det Supt Fletcher, with nearly three decades of policing experience, labelled this one of the worst cases he has ever encountered. "The pure longevity of the harm is staggering," he said. "She was severely malnourished, had calluses on her feet, and was in a very bad physical state. I don't believe Amanda Wixon saw her as a human being. She was treated as a slave to make Wixon's own life easier, in stark contrast to how Wixon's own children were treated."
The victim suffered multiple assaults, including being punched, kicked, and pushed down stairs. The cumulative effect meant she missed the prime of her life and sustained severe psychological trauma. Since her rescue, she has grown her hair long, a symbolic act of reclaiming autonomy after years of forced haircuts.
Complete lack of remorse from the perpetrator
Authorities noted that Wixon has shown no remorse for her actions. "Even on the court steps after conviction, she maintained she had done nothing wrong," Det Supt Fletcher reported. "She has dehumanised the victim entirely, not viewing her as a person with rights. Only someone truly wicked could inflict such sustained cruelty."
Wixon was found guilty of false imprisonment, two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She was acquitted on one assault charge. The thirteen-year sentence reflects the gravity of crimes that robbed a woman of her freedom and dignity for twenty-five years.
