A woman who kept another woman imprisoned and forced her to work in 'Dickensian' conditions for more than 25 years has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Amanda Wixon, 56, of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, was found guilty of false imprisonment, requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The victim, now in her 40s, was 16 when she moved into Wixon's home in the mid-1990s for a weekend stay but remained there until police discovered her in 2021. She had learning disabilities and was subjected to physical abuse, including beatings, having washing-up liquid squirted down her throat, bleach splashed on her face, and her head shaved against her will. She lived off scraps, could not leave the house, and was forced to wash secretly at night. Her benefit money, totalling £100,000, was paid into Wixon's account.
In a statement read at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, the victim 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. Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost.' She is now living with a foster family and slowly rebuilding her life.
The court heard that social services had been involved with the family in the late 1990s but had no record of contact since. The victim had no medical or dental records and had not seen a doctor in two decades. A neighbour claimed she had contacted social services with concerns but nothing was done.
There are growing calls for social services to explain how the victim slipped through the net. The charity Unseen, which helps victims of modern slavery, reported a 37% rise in victims reported to its helpline in 2025 compared to 2024, with over 6,600 victims. The charity called for more training for professionals to identify signs of domestic servitude.
