Shocking images reveal the appalling conditions endured by a woman held captive in a Tewkesbury home for nearly 25 years. Amanda Wixon, a 56-year-old mother of ten, was convicted yesterday at Gloucester Crown Court for subjecting her victim to forced labor, abuse, and severe neglect.
The victim, now in her 40s and with learning difficulties, was just 16 when Wixon took her into the family home in the Priors Park area. Over two decades, Wixon exploited the victim by forcing her to perform exhausting manual tasks, including daily hours spent on her knees sweeping floors, serving meals, washing dishes, and sorting clothing, all under threat of violence.
Despite claiming benefits on the victim’s behalf since 2000 — payments made directly into Wixon’s bank account — the victim lived in poverty, deprived of adequate food, clothing, healthcare, and dental care. Police described the residence as overcrowded and filthy, with mould-covered walls, peeling plaster, and rubbish strewn throughout the property. The victim’s bedroom was likened to a prison cell.
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The woman finally escaped in March 2021 after falling ill and secretly contacting a trusted individual. Police who arrived at the property found her frightened, gaunt, malnourished, and emitting a strong body odor. She was promptly removed and hospitalized for assessment.
Following the trial, Wixon was found guilty of modern slavery offences including forced or compulsory labor (two counts), false imprisonment, and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She was acquitted of one assault charge. Wixon is due to be sentenced on March 12.
A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson highlighted the victim’s resilience and recovery, now supported by a carer and enjoying freedoms long denied. Senior Crown Prosecutor Laura Burgess praised the victim’s strength and reaffirmed the pursuit of justice for the decades of unimaginable cruelty she suffered. Wixon, meanwhile, has dismissed her conviction as “rubbish.”