ENGLAND - A mother of 10 has been found guilty of modern-day slavery offenses after keeping an unnamed victim captive in her home for more than 20 years.
On Wednesday, January 21, the woman, identified as 56-year-old Amanda Wixon, was convicted by a jury at Gloucestershire Crown Court on two counts of forced or compulsory labor, one count of false imprisonment, and three counts of assault, according to a new release obtained by PEOPLE.
"During her more than 20-year imprisonment, the victim was repeatedly beaten while being forced to clean and sweep the floors of Wixon's home and get her children ready for school," the release from Crown Protection Services (CPS) said.
At the court hearing, prosecutors stated that the victim worked as a "house slave" for Wixon and her 10 children. "Wixon was found guilty of [modern-day] slavery [offenses]" as confirmed by the Gloucestershire Constabulary in a Facebook post. Police released chilling images on Facebook showing the squalid conditions the victim had been made to live in.
The victim, who is now in her 40s and has learning difficulties, moved into Wixon's family home in 1996 after the suspect "assumed responsibility" for her, police said. The victim was 16 years old when she moved into Wixon's property.
"For more than two decades Wixon kept the victim in squalid conditions; locking her in the house and depriving her of food, health, and dental care," the police release said. Wixon also "deprived" the victim of money. "Despite claiming benefits for the victim since 2000, which were paid into Wixon's bank account, the victim was forced to live in poverty and wear hand-me-down clothes," police said.
The victim was "exploited" and forced to "complete work around the house under the threat of violence," the jury learned. Police also said that the victim was "made to spend hours on her knees each day" doing the chores.
"Wixon forbade the victim from washing herself, but she was made to bathe the children and run baths for Wixon," the release said. "She would allow the victim to have one meal a day, usually leftover food or scraps, and the victim would often hide sweet foods to eat in secret if she got hungry."
"Those threats of violence were accompanied by actual violence with Wixon regularly beating the victim if she did not complete the jobs around the home" police said.
Officers said that between January 1997 and March 2021, the victim claimed that Wixon had strangled her, as well as putting her head down the toilet and pouring cleaning fluids on her face and down her throat. "Wixon also stomped on the victim and hit her in the face with a broom handle, causing her to lose her teeth. She would also forcibly shave off the victim's hair, despite the victim wanting it long," the release said.
"On one occasion, when Wixon discovered the victim had been given a [cell] phone, she took it from her and hit her around the face with it, giving her a black eye. She then smashed the phone with a hammer," police said.
On March 15, 2021, the victim finally called someone she knew for help after using another secret cell phone she'd been given. The CPS added in its release that one of Wixon's sons had called the police, claiming he was concerned about the victim's welfare.
"At the time of her discovery, she was malnourished, her hair had been forcibly cut, and all of her teeth had been removed," CPS said in its release.
Police said they responded to the call and attended Wixon's address at around 10:40 p.m. local time that evening, where officers found the "frightened" and "gaunt" victim, who "smelt strongly of body [odor]." She was then taken to see a dentist for the first time.
Doctors "noted scarring around her mouth, thought to be due to contact with cleaning fluids, and calluses on her ankles, which were consistent with the victim's account of spending hours on her knees, sweeping the floor," the news release said. The dentist said the victim "would have been in severe pain at multiple points over the years due to infections and abscesses which were never treated," police said.
"Wixon kept an extremely vulnerable victim captive in appalling conditions for over two decades," Detective Constable Emma Jackson said of the case. "Instead of caring for her, as she was supposed to, she exploited her and forced her to work in domestic servitude whilst subjecting her to the most cruel and inhumane treatment."
"I commend the victim in this case for reaching out for help. Knowing all too well what the violent consequences would have been if she'd been caught, it was incredibly courageous of her," the officer added, confirming that the victim is "now flourishing."
Wixon has been released on bail by the court and is due to be sentenced on March 12. She's denied the charges against her.
On Wednesday, January 21, the woman, identified as 56-year-old Amanda Wixon, was convicted by a jury at Gloucestershire Crown Court on two counts of forced or compulsory labor, one count of false imprisonment, and three counts of assault, according to a new release obtained by PEOPLE.
"During her more than 20-year imprisonment, the victim was repeatedly beaten while being forced to clean and sweep the floors of Wixon's home and get her children ready for school," the release from Crown Protection Services (CPS) said.
At the court hearing, prosecutors stated that the victim worked as a "house slave" for Wixon and her 10 children. "Wixon was found guilty of [modern-day] slavery [offenses]" as confirmed by the Gloucestershire Constabulary in a Facebook post. Police released chilling images on Facebook showing the squalid conditions the victim had been made to live in.
The victim, who is now in her 40s and has learning difficulties, moved into Wixon's family home in 1996 after the suspect "assumed responsibility" for her, police said. The victim was 16 years old when she moved into Wixon's property.
"For more than two decades Wixon kept the victim in squalid conditions; locking her in the house and depriving her of food, health, and dental care," the police release said. Wixon also "deprived" the victim of money. "Despite claiming benefits for the victim since 2000, which were paid into Wixon's bank account, the victim was forced to live in poverty and wear hand-me-down clothes," police said.
The victim was "exploited" and forced to "complete work around the house under the threat of violence," the jury learned. Police also said that the victim was "made to spend hours on her knees each day" doing the chores.
"Wixon forbade the victim from washing herself, but she was made to bathe the children and run baths for Wixon," the release said. "She would allow the victim to have one meal a day, usually leftover food or scraps, and the victim would often hide sweet foods to eat in secret if she got hungry."
"Those threats of violence were accompanied by actual violence with Wixon regularly beating the victim if she did not complete the jobs around the home" police said.
Officers said that between January 1997 and March 2021, the victim claimed that Wixon had strangled her, as well as putting her head down the toilet and pouring cleaning fluids on her face and down her throat. "Wixon also stomped on the victim and hit her in the face with a broom handle, causing her to lose her teeth. She would also forcibly shave off the victim's hair, despite the victim wanting it long," the release said.
"On one occasion, when Wixon discovered the victim had been given a [cell] phone, she took it from her and hit her around the face with it, giving her a black eye. She then smashed the phone with a hammer," police said.
On March 15, 2021, the victim finally called someone she knew for help after using another secret cell phone she'd been given. The CPS added in its release that one of Wixon's sons had called the police, claiming he was concerned about the victim's welfare.
"At the time of her discovery, she was malnourished, her hair had been forcibly cut, and all of her teeth had been removed," CPS said in its release.
Police said they responded to the call and attended Wixon's address at around 10:40 p.m. local time that evening, where officers found the "frightened" and "gaunt" victim, who "smelt strongly of body [odor]." She was then taken to see a dentist for the first time.
Doctors "noted scarring around her mouth, thought to be due to contact with cleaning fluids, and calluses on her ankles, which were consistent with the victim's account of spending hours on her knees, sweeping the floor," the news release said. The dentist said the victim "would have been in severe pain at multiple points over the years due to infections and abscesses which were never treated," police said.
"Wixon kept an extremely vulnerable victim captive in appalling conditions for over two decades," Detective Constable Emma Jackson said of the case. "Instead of caring for her, as she was supposed to, she exploited her and forced her to work in domestic servitude whilst subjecting her to the most cruel and inhumane treatment."
"I commend the victim in this case for reaching out for help. Knowing all too well what the violent consequences would have been if she'd been caught, it was incredibly courageous of her," the officer added, confirming that the victim is "now flourishing."
Wixon has been released on bail by the court and is due to be sentenced on March 12. She's denied the charges against her.
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