Anna-Marie West was just eight years old when she was first raped by her father Fred West and stepmother Rose West. The sexual abuse became a regular occurrence, with Fred constructing metal torture devices and insisting such treatment was normal.
Some of the West children were subjected to sexual exploitation by others, including at a party where they were assaulted by drunk men with their parents' alleged approval. Incest was ingrained in Fred's behaviour, and child abuse was as common as meals at 25 Cromwell Street.
However, it was often Rose who instilled the greatest fear. Barry West, Fred's son, described Rose as a 'complete psycho' who beat him more than Fred did and enjoyed it. She used a giant wooden spoon as a weapon, breaking Barry's nose multiple times and splitting his head open.
The children were locked in the cellar overnight, sometimes strapped to their beds, with Rose holding the keys. Rose was convicted in 1995 of ten murders and received a Whole Life Order, becoming only the second woman after Myra Hindley to receive such a sentence.
