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Shannon Matthews Mother arrested !!!!!

1002 replies

kay1981 · 07/04/2008 09:22

They have arrested her on perverting the course of justice - which i think means lying to the police under oath doesnt it?

Is it at all possible that they knew where she was all the time?

Perhaps cahnnel 4 should now re-show the documentary on shannons family and see how it is received knowing what we know.

OP posts:
elesbells · 07/04/2008 11:13

I thought the same littlerach..

chocfest · 07/04/2008 11:15

i suppose shannon had the best excuse for being out on her own, whereas the little ones would have to have 'gone missing from home'

cosima · 07/04/2008 11:17

cracker they are desperate for money because they don't want to live on a rough estate. i work with families like these and i see things which are like victorian britain, not even an exaggerated oliver twist set could come close to the squalor and deprivation that i see. plus living conditions like this exacerbate mental illness and incomprehensible behaviour

Pennies · 07/04/2008 11:18

Lynnette - what was the 999 call like then - I never heard it?

wannaBe · 07/04/2008 11:18

it's all very dodgy.

The only thing that makes me wonder though is that Karen Matthews said quite early on that she believed that the person who had shannon knew her. Also that someone had taken Shannon to get at her. Surely by doing that she was limiting her chances of anyone throwing money at the family? If they did this as a money-making exercise then it would have been far more benefitial to them to use the paedophile angle?

CrackerOfNuts · 07/04/2008 11:21

Fair enough Cosima, but as I said, I do know people who live on sink estates, half my family were brought up on one and are single parent familes etc, and they still wouldn't behave in that way so I don't think that where they live can be blamed entirely.

StripeyMama · 07/04/2008 11:22

Eh?????

Where's this idea it was a 'money making scam' come from - have I missed something?

wannaBe · 07/04/2008 11:24

yes this is about Shannon's disappearance

"Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice can cover a wide range of actions but one suggestion is that when Shannon first disappeared, Ms Matthews may
have known more about her daughter's whereabouts than she told police."

There was also some speculation in the press yesterday that Karen Matthews was having an affair with the uncle.

Mercy · 07/04/2008 11:27

I haven't really been followign the case since the girl was found - it's all rather bizarre tbh.

Tommy · 07/04/2008 11:28

I hae tried not to get too interested in thei case TBH but I remember hearing the interview on R4 when Shannon's mum said that someone had done it to try and "get" at her. Te interviewer said "Who do you think has done it?" and the Mum said she didn't know. Presumably, if you thought "someone" had done something like that, you would have a good idea who that might be.

It did make me a bit at the time and I wonder whether the police asked R4 to do the interview in order to find a few more things out.

It's all very sad as they children are the ones who are the centre of it all

VictorianSqualor · 07/04/2008 11:29

So sad.
I only hope it was all for money and that Shannon was unharmed during her 'abduction'.

chocfest · 07/04/2008 11:30

one thing i thought was strange was the fact that karent matthews didnt make the 999 call until the evening. it had been dark for ages and she was due home direct from school, a bit strange to leave it so late.

cosima · 07/04/2008 11:30

oh i know that the living conditions aren't the sole problem, they must be very dubious people, what i meant was these awful living conditions harbour such tragedy and its a shame that such appalling conditions still exist, particularly when some people are buying million pound homes

LynetteScavo · 07/04/2008 11:34

re the 999 call, I thought it was odd that she didn't call the police earlier, and that she dialed 999, rahter than the police station, but DH doesn't agree with me.

I didn't actually pay much attention to the 999 call, I jsut thought it was an unusual step for the police to take, something they would only have done if they suspected the mother was involved. Pure speculation on my part, though.

soapbox · 07/04/2008 11:35

Cosima - I watched the C4 documentary and aside from a bit of dirt and dubious painting schemes, the house was absolutely fine and fit for purpose.

The family had TV, freezers, fridges, computers etc etc

What exactly about these living conditions need to be improved upon? Other than perhaps a bit more cleaning needing to be done (understandable if your child is missing that you might not feel up to it)!

I think it is hugely insulting to people who are poor to even suggest that the fact this family is poor, is in some way mitigating circumstances from faking your own child's disappearance!

tiredemma · 07/04/2008 11:37

I have visited families in far, far worser homes than shannons, I am yet to come across anyone, mentally ill or not who would fake their own childs disappearance for financial gain.

Twinkie1 · 07/04/2008 11:44

Maybe the mum was having an affair with the uncle and he kidnapped Shannon when she said she didn't want to leave the step dad to be with him?

Or maybe not!

notjustmom · 07/04/2008 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wannaBe · 07/04/2008 11:45

if they had tv and computers they weren't exactly living in poverty were they? .

Remotew · 07/04/2008 11:51

The truth will come out soon enough. Its obvious that something is a miss in the family. Just hope the poor child is OK.

I missed the channel 4 programme but its does not sound like the family were living in squalor. Poverty yes as I have read that a child is deemed to be in poverty if the family can not afford school trips and other non essential things that other children can expect .

cosima · 07/04/2008 11:53

i'm not justifying what they did at all! I think its totally abhorrent, I'm just lamenting that there is so much tragedy in the world, ..squalor AND people with dubious morals. its just such a sorry state of affairs when this is how people carry on

tiredemma · 07/04/2008 12:09

items regarded as necessities by at least two-thirds of adults surveyed for the TV series 'breadline britain 1990's'

  • Self contained damp free accom with an indoor toilet and bath
  • a weekly roast joint for the family and three daily meals for each child

-two pairs of all weather shoes and an warm waterproof coat

  • sufficient money for public transport
  • adequate bedrooms and beds
  • heating and carpeting
  • a refridgerator and washing machine
  • enough money for special occasions - ie xmas
  • toys for children

Poverty in this programme was defined as people having to live without three or more of the items regarded as 'necessities'.

chocfest · 07/04/2008 12:13

but why, fi they thought they lived in poverty, did they keep adding to the situation by having more kids?

chocfest · 07/04/2008 12:13

If not fi !!

nailpolish · 07/04/2008 12:16

people dont always have children because they want to

it can be for a number of reasons - lack of knowledge about contraception/pregnancy

religious reasons

ignorance

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