A UK mother is behind bars for at least two years after abusing her daughter and stepdaughters to the point where a judge said they were scarred indefinitely.

The Times reports that Caroline Sharp, 65, starved her daughter and stepdaughters, forced them to do housework for hours on end, made them drink toilet water, deprived them of clothing and shoes, and “abused, humiliated, and neglected them” for 16 years. The abuse went on from 1975 to 1991. In 2015, one of the victims gained the courage to go to the police. It led to an investigation and eventually, charges against Sharp.

Mother who treated stepdaughters as slaves is jailed: Caroline Sharp, from Brigg, North… https://t.co/qHAqQrNz0J

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During sentencing on Thursday, at the Grimsby Crown Courtin Grimsby, all three daughters, now grown, cried freely as Sharp was led away in handcuffs. Before she left, Judge Paul Watson made her face her actions.

“This was truly the childhood of nightmares. At your hands, they were abused, humiliated, belittled and neglected. They were starved of the parental care and affection to which they were entitled.”

Prosecutor Gordon Stable stated one of the stepdaughters became so hungry that she risked punishment just to sneak food out of the cupboards. When caught, Sharp would smack them in the face and on the hands.

“She was so hungry she would pinch food from the cupboards but, when this was discovered, she would be hit by Sharp. She was constantly hungry. They would go to school hungry.”

Sharp also showed no affection to any of the girls, which according to Judge Waston, left them scarred for life.

“These children were, in fact, used by you as slaves with no care or affection to be shown to them throughout their childhood. The effects upon each of them are lasting and profound. Each of them has been left with long-lasting and serious difficulties which they are struggling to deal with. Each girl is going to need therapeutic counselling for years to come.”

The girls were also deprived of access to basic hygiene, and would often go weeks without a toothbrush and without bathing. One of the daughters said she had absolutely “no memory of nice times when she was growing up.” Instead, she only remembers trauma and being “smacked and starved.”

After her arrest, Sharp admitted that she wasn’t a nice person, and claimed she was remorseful for her actions.

“If I could turn back the clock, I would love them. I’m very, very sorry. I’m not proud of it.”

Sharp was sentenced to two years in prison for three counts of child cruelty.