Systematic Abuse
After the attempt to escape into a home of her own with Craig, Rachel Hudson lived in family home in Overdale Road, Stockhill as a virtual prisoner. She wasn't allowed to speak to her parents or even her husband. She was only let out of the house with 'a minder'. The Hudsons feared she would take Craig away from them. After initially siding with his wife, Craig joined the other Hudsons in participating in the abuse.
She was subjected to regular beatings, some with a baseball bat known as "Mr Woody" and a piece of wood known as "Captain Plank". She was made to eat cat food.
On 21 November 2003, the Hudsons forced Rachel to make a videotaped "confession", in which she claimed she tried to split up the family, wanted to kill her children, had stolen money from her husband, and had enjoyed working as a prostitute. This would be her last recorded sighting alive, and her parents last heard from her five months before her death. From December 2003, the Hudsons denied any knowledge of where she was, and claimed she had abandoned her family to run off with another man.
In January 2004, copies of a letter from Rachel were sent to her father, police, and Nottingham City Council social services, saying
| “ | You must stop sending the police to the Hudsons' house. They have done nothing wrong. Please leave me being your lost little girl alone... If you start causing trouble for me I'll make sure the Hudsons make trouble for you. | ” |
Read more about this topic: Rachel Hudson
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