health
March 12, 2026
'She didn’t want me to hug her': carer of enslaved woman describes her recovery
Foster carer dismayed at time it took to help woman, who is having therapy, attending college and growing her hair
TL;DR
- A woman rescued after 25 years of severe mental and physical abuse was initially timid, frail, and unable to bear hugs.
- Her abuser, Amanda Wixon, was jailed for 13 years for holding the victim in "Dickensian conditions" in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
- The foster carer described the victim's slow progress, including learning to accept affection and rediscovering simple pleasures like hot showers.
- The victim suffered significant abuse, including being denied food, locked in rooms, and having corrosive substances poured on her.
- The foster carer is dismayed that it took five years from the victim's rescue in March 2021 to reach court, calling for a wider inquiry into systemic failures.
- Despite her trauma, the woman is now attending college, traveling abroad, and growing her hair, activities she was previously denied.
- The carer is committed to helping the victim fulfill the life she missed out on due to the abuse.
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