Woman sentenced for enslaving vulnerable person in Tewkesbury

Mandy Wixson, a 56-year-old mother of ten, has been sentenced to prison for holding a woman with learning disabilities in slavery at her home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The victim, identified as 'K', was 16 when she first entered the household in 1996 and was kept there until March 2021, when police intervened following a report from one of the defendant's sons. During her captivity, the victim was forced to perform manual labor, suffered severe physical abuse including beatings with a broom handle, and endured chemical burns from bleach. The victim was kept in conditions described by police as a cell, with the defendant seizing over 115,000 euros in government benefits intended for the victim. Investigators noted the victim suffered permanent physical damage, including tooth loss and scarring. The house, which housed up to 13 people at times, was reported to be in squalid condition. The victim is currently undergoing a process of adjustment to her life outside the household.