A woman in Gloucestershire, UK, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of detaining and forcing another woman into domestic servitude for more than two decades.
The defendant, 56-year-old Amanda Wixon, a mother of 10 children, was convicted of charges including:
- two counts of forced or compulsory labor
- one count of false imprisonment
- three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
According to police information, the victim is now 40 years old and has learning difficulties, which Wixon was well aware of, having known her since childhood through family connections.
Detainment and exploitation for over 20 years
Police said Wixon brought the victim to live at her home in 1996 and controlled her life for over two decades. This controlling behavior shocked the public, similar to the case of the Florida mother arrested after leaving two small children with an Uber driver for over two hours to go drinking.
According to investigation records:
- the victim was locked inside the house
- denied medical and dental care
- given only one meal a day, often leftovers
- forced to do all the housework for Wixon and her 10 children
Tasks included:
- cleaning the house
- laundry
- cooking and serving the family
In court, the prosecutor described the victim as a “domestic slave.”
Beaten and tortured
Police said the victim had to work under constant threat of violence. Wixon's violent acts included strangulation, an act as dangerous as the incident where a 13-year-old knocked out his drunk father to stop him from strangling his mother in Alabama to save a family member.
Other forms of torture included:
- pouring cleaning chemicals into the victim's face and mouth
- hitting the victim's face with a broom handle, causing her teeth to fall out
- shaving the victim's head
Additionally, Wixon had been receiving social benefits for the victim since 2000 but kept all the money in her personal account.
The 2021 rescue
The case was only discovered on March 15, 2021, when the victim found a phone and called for help. Crimes against vulnerable people are always severely punished by law, such as the Sharpsburg man sentenced to 20 years in prison for online misconduct involving a minor.
When police arrived at the scene, they described the victim as:
- thin and malnourished
- extremely terrified
- covered in bruises on her arms
The victim's room had a dirty bed, moldy walls, and no light bulb.
A new life after rescue
After being rescued, the victim said her life had completely changed. She told the court that having her own bedroom with a clean bed for the first time felt “amazing.”
Currently, the victim is starting to learn normal things in life such as:
- coloring
- writing poetry
- watching television
However, she still struggles with traumatic memories and nightmares from the years of captivity.
Prosecutor Rachael Scott stated:
“The victim in this case endured decades of abuse, exploitation, and control. Her recovery after being freed is a testament to her extraordinary resilience.”
