Woman kept in ‘Dickensian’ servitude for 25 years speaks out as abuser jailed

A woman held in servitude for 25 years by Amanda Wixon in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, has spoken out after her abuser was sentenced to 13 years in prison. The victim, who has learning disabilities, was subjected to physical abuse, forced labor, and isolation after moving into Wixon's home in the mid-1990s at age 16. She was only meant to stay for the weekend, but remained there until police discovered her in 2021 following a tipoff. Wixon controlled the woman's life, confiscating her benefit money, restricting her movement, and subjecting her to horrific abuse. The victim's statement described living in fear and control, and highlighted the lasting trauma she continues to experience. There are now calls for social services to explain how the abuse went undetected for so long.

Amanda Wixon, a British mother of ten, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for holding a vulnerable woman as a "house slave" for over 25 years in Gloucestershire, England. Beginning in 1995 when the victim was a teenager, Wixon forced her to perform manual labor, physically assaulted her, and deprived her of food and healthcare until 2021. The abuse included beatings with objects like broom handles, squirting washing-up liquid down her throat, splashing bleach on her face, and forcibly shaving her head. Wixon was convicted of false imprisonment and modern-day slavery offences, including forced labor and assault. The victim, who has a learning disability, is now in her 40s.