ELSIE WHEDDON FROM NORTHEND SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR ABUSE OF CHILDREN IN OXFORDSHIRE

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community, Elsie Wheddon, a woman aged 71 from Northend, has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for her role in a series of horrific abuses inflicted upon three children in her care. The abuse took place at a residence in Oxfordshire, where Wheddon and her then-husband, Stephen Wheddon, were responsible for subjecting the children to unimaginable cruelty and neglect during the early 2000s.

Elsie Wheddon, who was in her twenties at the time, was complicit in the physical violence and emotional torment that the children endured. Her husband, Stephen, was the primary perpetrator of the physical abuse, which included beatings, torture, and even setting one of the children on fire with a lighter. The children were subjected to a series of brutal acts, including being locked in cupboards, burned, and forced to endure inhumane treatment. One of the victims recounted that her head was used as a mop to clean the floor after she had wet herself, illustrating the extreme level of degradation inflicted upon them.

The victims described their ordeal as a 'living hell,' with one recalling that they were like 'personal punchbags' for the couple. The second victim, who was also subjected to sexual abuse by Stephen Wheddon, claimed that Elsie Wheddon must have been aware of the abuse taking place in her own bedroom. She described a specific incident where, after Stephen had sexually assaulted her, he shouted in a panic, saying, “We have to get rid of it,” implying that Elsie was involved or at least complicit in the cover-up.

One of the victims, inspired by a storyline from the Australian TV show 'Home and Away,' reported the abuse after witnessing similar events on television. She detailed how she was dunked in cold water by Elsie Wheddon on one occasion, further emphasizing the cruelty she endured. The children also suffered from the presence of 'rat-like creatures' that ran across their bodies, with one victim recounting that the animals bit them, adding to the terror of their environment.

Elsie Wheddon consistently denied any knowledge of her husband's sexual misconduct and insisted she had not physically abused the children. However, in February, she was convicted on 13 counts of cruelty to a child under the age of 16. The court proceedings culminated on May 22, when Recorder Stuart Trimmer KC sentenced her at Lewes Crown Court, sitting at Brighton Magistrates’ Court, to serve ten years in prison for her involvement in these heinous acts.

The case has brought to light the depths of neglect and abuse that can occur within seemingly ordinary households, and it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and intervention in cases of suspected child cruelty.