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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:
Divastrop · 09/04/2008 22:26

so its ok to have 2 or 3 children by one man and get tax credits then?

UniversallyChallenged · 09/04/2008 22:26

IC - that's such a shame. I think you have been incredibly brave, honest and refreshingly open in this whole business. You have added a much needed insight for us. Sorry you have been getting unkind comments

nancy75 · 09/04/2008 22:27

divastrop, she has had 7 kids by 5 dads and all of thses relationships apear to have ended, how many times can you make the same mistakes?

zippitippitoes · 09/04/2008 22:28

you can make the same mistakes forever

MicrowaveOnly · 09/04/2008 22:30

Divastrop we're not talking about 2/3 children by one man. Why do you keep changing the situation we're talking about?

ooh you think having 7 kids by 5 men is scrounging off the system so therefore I must think having 2/3 kids is also scrounging. Bollocks to that kinda weak argument.

Do you not draw any lines between right and wrong. Is everyone on benefits sweet and lovely and should not held responsible for their own financial wellbeing?

UniversallyChallenged · 09/04/2008 22:31

then is it really a mistake? Surely then it becomes a choice?

surprise · 09/04/2008 22:34

IC - sorry to hear you've been frightened off by some of the comments on here. People are often very brave with their words when they're anonymous. I think you should be able to talk about things on here, after all I'm sure it must be hard in RL. What is the news of Shannon btw? Is she with foster carers? Poor little mite, I feel so sorry for her.

MicrowaveOnly · 09/04/2008 22:35

exactly UC. E.g A burst condom is a mistake, but having a child you can't afford because you think it might keep the errant boyfriend, say, is a choice - and should be judged as such.

edam · 09/04/2008 22:36

Oh, so now it's about tax credits and council housing. Forgive me if I don't think attacking people in receipt of tax credits is any better than having a go at those on benefits. And the point remains none of us know whether or not KM has applied for or receives tax credits/benefits/any other form of state support.

edam · 09/04/2008 22:37

To be fair, the most recent relationship with the father of the youngest child has only just ended... anyone voting for her to stay with the guy who is charged with having child porn on the computer?

edam · 09/04/2008 22:38

(Anyone apart from IC, that is, who hasn't commented AFAIK)

2shoes · 09/04/2008 22:38

oh they do edam. they no all and everything

matildax · 09/04/2008 22:39

Nancy, you are missing the point im afraid, i was merely saying none of us know how things in our personal lives will pan out. and it is wrong to pass judgment, without knowing the true facts.
yes children should be the product of happy loving relationships, but sadly in this day and age it is not always the case.

CoteDAzur · 09/04/2008 22:42

"the fact she wasnt on benefits"

What 'fact'?

Newest boyfriend was 17 when they hooked up several years ago. Who really believes he was supporting her and the kiddies for all these years with his moneymaking talents in the fish market?

nancy75 · 09/04/2008 22:45

matildax, why is it wrong for me to pass judgement? I personally feel it is wrong to have multiple children by multiple partners, i dont in any way see how it can be in the best interest of the child/children.concerning not knowing the facts - has she denied that she has 7 kids by 5 dads - no.
As for not knowing how our lives will pan out, i know that i wont end up with loads of kids by loads of men.

immaculateconception · 09/04/2008 22:46

I still haven't seen Shannon for obvious reasons, she is still with foster parents and from what I have been told she is well and is being well looked after, as are her brothers and sisters. Thank you for your support as it means a great deal to me. For me this was a safe outlet. Its not like I want to declare that Karen is my sister in RL. I'm sickened by what she has done. No mother should do that to their own children. I wonder if the people who have slagged me off would be able to lead a normal life and yet live with this in the background? I still have to work and take my kids to school. As the news said the police are appealing for calm. This is a safe place where nobody knows me personally and I can talk freely about my feelings on it all. Its not like I said a great deal about it all anyway but what I have said has been confirmed more or less the day after in the news.

Fridayfeeling · 09/04/2008 22:51

I constantly get surprised at the amount of venom on MN.

I can understand venom at KM because she has probably just committed a crime against her child...........but to lump her with everyone who has children by different fathers is just illogical, igorant, probably snobbish and certainly misguided.

matildax · 09/04/2008 22:56

nancy, whether or not it is wrong is really irrelevant now, and arguing the toss is pointless.
what IS important is that they are safe and well, and with people who can help them make sense of this "circus" that their life has now become.
my heart goes out to them at this awful time.

elkiedee · 09/04/2008 23:04

By the way Council housing isn't automatically subsidised - if someone dpesn't get housing benefit (and HB also subsidises lots of private landlords and financial institutions eg banks) then their rent is set at alevel which isn't subsidising the cost of providing the housing. Social housing may be more "affordable" than private rented but that's because you're not paying for insane house inflation (fuelled among other things by speculative buy to let) and banks' profits. Or not at the same level anyway.

I do feel sorry for Shannon Matthews - many children in care are not in a great situation but at least most of them get a little more anonymity than this particular 9 year old. I think the newspaper coverage of the whole story has a lot to answer for.

surprise · 09/04/2008 23:06

IC are your children aware of what's going on? Must be pretty hellish for you all. Keep posting on here, and ignore the digs. There are a lot of people on here who just like the sound of their own voice (or should that be the look of their own typing ?

Piffle · 09/04/2008 23:08

This seems to be about so many different factors
Charges are neglect and perverting the course of justice.
We know fuck all further than that. We do not know how many benefits they receive or if it is even relevant.

We do not know how or why this was planned or what they hoped to gain. We do not know their mental and emotional capabilities for coping and deducing fact and good ideas from bad.
At least from what we know her kids are safe and being watched - Shannon unhurt during her ordeal.

All we know is that several children are probably traumatisd right now not least of all the 2 yr old Courtenay, whatever her life may or may not have been, fact remains, her mother is gone and so is her father. for good reason judicially speaking but for a 2 yr old, even one not looked after that well, it is deeply distressing.

I don't give a toss about the adults in this. I really wish that the kids had better lives and did not have to go through this.
IC really feel for you, difficult to reconcile all the different emotions.
I wonder if shannons dad has contact with Shannon at all? I think he has her sibling in his care. i hope she has some family bonds being fostered and nurtured - healthy ones.
the whole situation is quite frankly a rotten mess.

Class and benefit scrounging cause vigorous debate here.
But what is the point?
It is too late to curse how they got to this point.
Fact is they did.
Plenty of other classed and well monied folks do despicable things to their kids. Cruelty is not class exclusive

Fridayfeeling · 09/04/2008 23:09

Funny how it has all calmed down now IC has posted !!??

Is it different to say / and judge people to their faces ?

This represents exactly what the 'do gooders' have been trying to say - you cannot generalise - every individual has a story and until you know it your judgements are probably misguided.

KM has done wrong, we probably don't know the half of it, but that does not mean that the reason this has happened is because she has children by different fathers. That is just too simple an explanation.

edam · 09/04/2008 23:10

Cote, for heaven's sake, you are frantically backtracking. Do you know whether Karen Matthews had a job five years ago?

The only fact in the public domain that relates to her finances is that her partner has a job.

Piffle · 09/04/2008 23:11

edam do feel free to join me at the brick wall for a little headbanging

edam · 09/04/2008 23:12

Thank you about the clarification on council housing, elkiedee. Several posters have quoted 'council house' as evidence KM is living at the taxpayers' expense so interesting to hear from someone who actually knows the score.

For all we know, she might even own the sodding house.

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