Woman enslaved for 25 years shares gut-wrenching statement after abuser jailed
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: PA
A woman who suffered ‘decades of torment, exploitation, and control’ has issued a heart-wrenching statement after her abuser was finally jailed.
In January, 56-year-old Amanda Wixon from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, was found guilty of modern-day slavery offences, including two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of false imprisonment and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
She was acquitted of another assault charge.
The mother-of-10, who has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars, assumed responsibility for the victim, who is now in her mid-40s, in 1996.
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Before police found her in squalid conditions at Wixon’s home, she had been subjected to abuse between January 1997 and March 2021.
This included being deprived of food, health, and dental care, wearing hand-me-down clothes, and £100,000 worth of benefits being wrongfully withheld from her.
In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman, known as K, said she spent 25 years living in ‘fear, control and abuse’.
She went on: “I was treated as though my life, my freedom and my voice did not matter.
“Although my abuser has now been found guilty, the trauma and the nightmares are something I still carry with me every day.”
Following her ordeal, the woman is now living with a ‘wonderful’ foster family who show her ‘kindness, patience and support’, as per the note.
“When I got my own bedroom at [my carer’s] it was amazing - I had a clean, comfortable bed and a safe house. I have been able to do colouring, write poems and do things which I was never allowed to do, simple things such as watching television when I wanted to.
“Their love is helping me slowly rebuild the life that was taken from me and begin to feel safe again.”
The woman, who is now enrolled in college, added: “Nothing can give me back the 25 years I lost.”
Among other violent acts, Wixon forced the woman’s head down the toilet, strangled her and forcibly shaved off her hair.
The woman was only able to track the passage of time by the passing of each Christmas and was ‘left to live off the crumbs that Wixon provided, while suffering unimaginable abuse and experiencing no acts of kindness at all’, said Rachael Scott of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Gloucester Crown Court heard that Wixon had squirted washing-up liquid down her victim's throat, splashed bleach across her face, and knocked out her teeth with a broom handle.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Emma Jackson from Gloucestershire Police, said that the victm’s ‘remarkable resilience and bravery’ should be commended.
“She has helped us to bring Wixon to justice and I hope she can find some peace knowing that her abuser is now behind bars for a long time.
"Although she has started a new chapter of her life, the enduring psychological impact of Wixon's abuse and years of imprisonment is still evident. She is continuing to receive specialist support and we wish her well with her continued recovery.
"Cases like this remind us that exploitation, coercion or forced labour can happen in any community and we encourage anyone who has concerns for someone’s safety, to report it to us."
If you suspect someone to be a victim of slavery contact the 24/7 Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700, or police on 101.