Shocking details have emerged about a woman who held another as a captive "house slave" for a quarter of a century, with neighbours claiming they reported their concerns to social services two decades before the perpetrator was finally arrested.
Repeated Warnings Ignored by Authorities
Amanda Wixon, a 56-year-old mother of ten from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, was found guilty this week of multiple serious offences including false imprisonment, requiring forced labour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The case has raised serious questions about systemic failures in social care protection after neighbours revealed they had been sounding alarms about the situation for years.
Neighbour Testimonies Reveal Longstanding Concerns
Hayley Nuttall, a 55-year-old neighbour, told Gloucester Crown Court that her mother first reported concerns about the household over two decades ago. Nuttall herself contacted the council in 2018, describing the victim as "thin" with a shaved head and urging authorities to investigate.
"I said, there's a girl next door. I said I seen her the other day, I haven't seen her for a long time," Nuttall testified. "I said that needs to be dealt with, you go for families that just need some support, but that next door needs to be looked into."
Another neighbour, identified only as Kiram, stated she called social services "many times" but "nothing was ever done." She recalled witnessing the victim being beaten "like a rag doll" and described the situation as "disgusting."
"Social services failed her massively," Kiram told the court.Horrific Conditions and Abuse
The victim, a woman now in her 40s who has learning disabilities and cannot be named for legal reasons, endured what prosecutors described as "squalid" living conditions during her 25-year captivity. Wixon regularly subjected her to cruel treatment including squirting washing-up liquid down her throat as punishment.
Police who eventually rescued the woman in March 2021 found her bedroom resembled a "prison cell" and noted she had significant scarring to her face. The victim also had developed calluses on her feet and ankles from being forced to clean on her hands and knees, and had lost many of her teeth due to neglect and abuse.
Escape and Recovery
The victim's ordeal only ended when police were called to the address by one of Wixon's own sons in March 2021. Since her rescue, the woman has been living with a foster family where she has begun rebuilding her life.
Remarkably, she has since started attending college and has even been able to enjoy holidays abroad - experiences that were completely denied to her during her decades of captivity.
Lack of Remorse from Perpetrator
Outside court following her conviction, Wixon displayed no contrition for her actions. When questioned about showing remorse, she responded: "Why would I be sorry for something I claim I had never done?" despite the overwhelming evidence presented against her.
Wixon has been released on conditional bail while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for March 12. The case has prompted serious questions about how such prolonged abuse could occur despite multiple reports to authorities over many years.
One friend of the family expressed disbelief at the systemic failure, stating: "There were so many of them living in such a small house you would think that social services would have had some contact with them. My first reaction on hearing about what has been going on is I can't believe social services had no interaction with them at all."
