Shivangi Sinha
After Fred West was arrested at his home on Cromwell Street in Gloucester in February 1994, the horrifying scale of crimes committed there began to surface. Among the survivors was Anne Marie West, Fred’s eldest daughter from his first marriage, who lived with him and Rose West until the age of 15. She later testified against her stepmother in court, revealing the appalling abuse she suffered at the house. Netflix’s ‘Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story’ explores the details of the case and Anne’s deeply traumatic experiences.
Anne Marie West Ran Away From Her Abusive Household at 15
Anne Marie West (born Anna Marie West on July 6, 1964) was the daughter of Catherine “Rena” Bernadette Costello and Fred West. She spent her early years in the Bridgeton district of Glasgow, where she allegedly witnessed her mother endure domestic abuse. By late 1965, Anne was living in Gloucester with her older half-sister Charmaine and both parents. After her parents separated, the two sisters and Fred moved into a trailer at Lake House Caravan Park. During this time, she was introduced to Rosemary Letts, who initially acted as her babysitter. When Fred was arrested for a separate matter, both girls were temporarily placed under the care of Child Protective Services. By 1970, Anne had moved into a home on Midland Road, Gloucester, with Fred, Charmaine, and Rose, whom she was told to refer to as her mother.
The years that followed were deeply traumatic for Anne. In June 1971, while Fred was in prison, her half-sister Charmaine suddenly disappeared. Rose told her that Charmaine had gone to live with their mother, and the only question on Anne’s young mind was why she hadn’t been taken too. From 1972 onward, 8-year-old Anne began experiencing severe physical and sexual abuse within the household at the hands of Fred and Rose. She said they had even allowed Rose’s “clients” to assault her. She shared a room with the family’s nanny, Caroline Owens, who later described her as withdrawn and silent. Anne remained in the West home until 1979, when, at age 15, she made the brave decision to run away. However, she was never able to sever ties with her parents completely.
Anne sent them cards on special occasions and maintained contact with her siblings. Her half-sister Heather West later confided in Anne that she, too, was suffering abuse in the home. In 1992, during an investigation into Fred for assault, Anne came forward and gave police a detailed account of the abuse she had endured. She also told them about her efforts to locate her mother and Charmaine and shared her suspicions regarding the disappearance of her half-sister Heather. At the time, Anne was married to Chris Davis, who also spoke to the authorities about Heather’s unhappiness at home. However, in 1993, Anne withdrew her statements against her father, later explaining that she feared Rose’s reaction and didn’t want to jeopardize the safety of her younger siblings.
Anne Marie West Bore Many Emotional Scars Even After Rose’s Conviction
By then, police had already begun to grow increasingly suspicious about Heather West’s disappearance. Following the arrests of Fred and Rose West in 1994, Anne Marie West sat through several media interviews in which she bravely recounted her story. It was reported that she even visited her father while he was being held on remand. In October 1995, she testified for the prosecution in Rose’s trial, detailing the harrowing abuse she had suffered. When asked why she had remained silent for so many years after fleeing the household, she explained that she had grown up believing the abuse was normal and that Fred and Rose were the only parents she knew.
Just two weeks after her testimony, Anne tried to take her own life but was saved. In 1996, she also brought forward allegations against Fred’s brother, John West, claiming he had assaulted her over 300 times. Criminal charges were filed, but in November 1996, John died by suicide in prison before his trial could begin. In 1995, Anne appeared on the TV show ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and published her autobiography ‘Out of the Shadows’ in December. Despite these public steps, she continued to struggle to move forward. In 1999, she tried to end her life again by jumping into the River Severn. At the time, she was divorced and raising two daughters on her own. Still, Anne found the strength to keep going.
Anne Marie West Hardly Makes Public Appearances These Days
Over the years, Anne has maintained her privacy. In 2004, she made an appearance on the TV series ‘45 Minutes.’ In 2011, she was reported to be working at a supermarket in Gloucester. That same year, she spoke out against a proposed TV drama about her parents’ crimes and called it a cruel move toward victims. Since then, she has largely stayed out of the spotlight, though she can be seen in the 2018 show ‘Encounters With Evil’ and the 2021 documentary ‘Killing Fred West.’ She adopted the name Anne Marie Davis to escape relentless media scrutiny and lives a quiet life to this day. One can only hope she has found some measure of peace after everything she has endured. It is known that she hasn’t kept in touch with the rest of her siblings due to court orders, but she reportedly visits Rose West in prison even today.
Read More: Caroline Owens: What Happened to Fred and Rose West’s Survivor?
