Ep 5. Two Decades of Torture By The Woman We Called Mum

In the fifth episode of the fourth season of Britain's Darkest Taboos, titled "Two Decades of Torture By The Woman We Called Mum," we delve into the harrowing story of a family torn apart by a mother's unimaginable cruelty.

The episode begins by introducing us to the story's subject, Susan Edwards, who grew up in a seemingly normal family with her mother, father, and brother, Christopher. However, as we soon learn, Susan's mother, Maureen, had a deeply disturbing secret that she concealed from her family for over two decades.

Maureen had a violent and sadistic streak that she unleashed on her daughter, using a combination of physical and psychological torture to control her every move. From a young age, Susan was forced to endure horrific abuse at the hands of her mother, who would lock her in a cupboard for days on end, burn her with cigarettes, and force her to eat her own vomit.

As Susan grew older, Maureen's abuse only intensified, with her mother exerting a total control over her life that left her feeling completely isolated and alone. Maureen would prevent Susan from making any friends or having any sort of social life, and would even go so far as to bribe members of the community to isolate her daughter.

Despite the severity of the abuse, Susan remained fiercely loyal to her mother for years, believing that her suffering was a necessary sacrifice for the sake of their family. However, as the episode progresses, we see how the tenuous bond between mother and daughter begins to unravel.

After discovering that Maureen had been lying to her about the truth behind her father's death, Susan begins to question everything she thought she knew about her family. She begins to see her mother for the cruel and manipulative person that she truly is, and the two soon come to blows.

The fallout from their confrontation is devastating, with Susan being forced to flee her home and seek refuge with friends and extended family members. Meanwhile, Maureen is left alone to face the consequences of her actions, which ultimately lead to her being sentenced to 14 years in prison for her crimes against her daughter.

The episode concludes with Susan reflecting on her experiences, and the complicated emotions that she still feels towards her mother despite all that she put her through. She speaks candidly about the difficulties of coming to terms with such profound trauma, and the process of healing that she has had to undertake in order to move forward with her life.

"Two Decades of Torture By The Woman We Called Mum" is a sobering reminder of the horrors that can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly normal families. Through Susan's story, we see the devastating impact that abuse can have on a person's life, and the difficult journey towards healing that survivors must undertake in order to move forward.