A woman who was held captive by a mother of ten who exploited her for more than a quarter of a century, in conditions the court described as "Dickensian", has spoken for the first time after her abuser was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Dickensian - term used to describe very poor, inhumane, or miserable conditions, similar to those described by Charles Dickens in his novels about 19th-century England ("Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield").
The woman, identified by the initials K., was inhumanly exploited by Amanda Wixon in Tewkesbury, England. She stated:
"For 25 years I lived in fear, under control and abuse. I was treated as if my life, my freedom and my voice had no value. The trauma and nightmares are something I carry with me every day."
In a statement released after Amanda Wixon, 56, received her sentence, K. added:
"I now live with a wonderful family who treat me well, are patient with me, and support me. Their love is slowly helping me rebuild the life that was taken from me and start to feel secure again. But nothing can bring back the 25 years I lost."
During her years of slavery, Amanda beat her repeatedly, poured dishwashing detergent down her throat, sprayed bleach in her face, and shaved her head against her will. She hit her with a broom handle, breaking her teeth, and on one occasion even shoved her head into the toilet.
The victim lived on scraps of food, was not allowed to leave the house and was forced to wash secretly at night. Meanwhile, her social security payments – totalling around £100,000 – ended up in Amanda Wixon's bank account.
In several voicemails found by police, K. described her suffering. In one of them she said: “Last night I was in terrible pain, I was crying... I had no one to talk to.”
Another message said: "How I wish I could go outside, take Marley for a walk every day of the week...I would love to do it, but I can't." In some personal notes, she had written that she simply dreamed of seeing the sun again.
She told police that sometimes Amanda's children would secretly give her cookies, but if she was caught eating them, she would be punished with a beating.
K., who has learning disabilities, was just 16 when she moved into Amanda's house in the mid-1990s. Amanda had a distant relationship with her family. She was originally supposed to stay for just a weekend, but she actually stayed there until 2021, when police found her.
Doctors noted that she was malnourished, while a dentist said it was likely that she had lived with severe pain for years due to infections and untreated teeth.
When officers found him after a complaint, K. had bruises on his lips and face, as well as large calluses on his feet and ankles from constantly being on his knees cleaning floors.
The house was overcrowded, with mold on the walls, falling plaster and garbage in the back yard. Her room was described by police as a prison cell.
Amanda Wixon was found guilty of three charges: unlawful deprivation of liberty, coercion to forced labor, and violence resulting in bodily harm.
Since her rescue, K. has lived with a foster family, started school, started therapy, and even traveled on vacation. But even after being taken into care, she still felt the compulsion to constantly clean. She didn't know how to cross the street, how to behave in a store, or what to wear when it rained.
In her statement, she said she still experiences panic from sudden noises and has nightmares about the time Amanda Wixon appeared at the end of her bed.
“I'm afraid he'll catch me and take me back,” she said.
Judge Ian Lawrie described the situation as a story with "Dickensian overtones", referring to the extreme and inhumane conditions.
He also suggested that the victim may have developed a form of Stockholm syndrome, a phenomenon where people held hostage form a psychological bond with their abuser.
According to the judge, Amanda Wixon had been "heartless" and had shown no remorse for her macabre actions. In addition to the prison sentence, a restraining order was also imposed on her to ensure the victim felt safe upon her future release.
The foster mother has also called for an investigation into how K. was able to live for 25 years in the Wixon home without being noticed by the authorities.
