Information Keeps Hitting Like Fury

16 March 2008
Quote" Shannon's uncle, Martin Matthews, 42, claimed the child had pleaded to stay with him because she was "in trouble" with her stepfather for swearing during a row. "I told her to go back. I regret it now. The next day she vanished." Quote

What if Shannon saw her 'Uncle Mick' or whatever she called him, after all she had been seen sitting on a wall crying allegedly. What if she asked him if she could stay with him?

He lost custody of his two daughters, he is not working and on disability. You do not lose custody of your children for no reason. What if in his disturbed state of mind he agreed and then it became all too much. He could not go to the police because he would go to prison which he now will?

What if when Shannon was found she refused to go back with her parents? This could be why the protective order has been granted thus giving the police time to work on all the leads and Shannon time to see where she wants to live.

Shannon's mother and biological father have spent time with her, however and I'm not judging here, it cannot be easy for her to be living in a small house with six siblings and numerous stepfathers. I think any single parent deserves full credit but I do think seven kids with six dads is excessive and unfair on all the children. That's all I'm going to say on that. Who am I to judge?

I will probably update again later as I've been thinking about this all night? I'm worrying about Shannon and her mother who I don't know from Adam! I keep talking about 'support' and it is the whole family that needs it and for a long time too.

Forgot to mention some new facts

• Shannon's 32-year-old mother and stepfather Craig Meehan, 22, looked tired and drawn as they left Dewsbury Police Station on Friday night. They then spent the night in a hotel while a neighbour looked after the children


• Police said that Shannon is "starting on the road to recovery", and spent "a comfortable and settled night" watching films and playing with a kitten after being rescued from a flat in Batley Carr, West Yorkshire.


• Specially-trained officers are talking to Shannon, who is in social services care, to find out what happened to her.


• West Yorkshire Police said they would try to carefully establish what has happened since the schoolgirl went missing on 19 February, but they expected it to be a long process.
  A force spokesman said: "Shannon remains under care of the police protection order. Her well-being and welfare continues to be the priority of West Yorkshire Police. "


• Shannon's mother was briefly reunited with her daughter. It is also thought that Shannon's natural father, Leon Rose, has also spent some time with his daughter.


• Family friend Petra Jamieson, who lives a few doors down from their home on Moorside Road, is looking after Shannon's siblings while Shanon's mother and stepfather are away.
  "I hope that they'll be back today but we just don't know."





• On Friday night residents in Dewsbury celebrated her survival. Banners with "Welcome back Shannon", neighbours let off fireworks, crack open bottles at the huge party and disco lights were set up outside the Matthews family home, but police still stand outside the front door of the family home. This morning there is a massive clean up operation going on.




• Team rector of Dewsbury, Reverend Canon Kevin Partington said: "The church has been open for prayer every day. We held a service outside the residents association centre a week ago and we have been doing what we can to support the local community.


• Pupils at Shannon's school a special school assembly had to be called to inform the youngsters of her safe return after teachers broke down in tears. A 10-year-old pupil, said: "We first knew something had happened when we saw that the teachers were crying. We didn't know what was going on. Then the police came in and told us that Shannon had been found and we just started crying. Everybody was just hugging one another."


• More than 200 officers and 60 detectives have been involved in the search, which police said amounted to 10% of West Yorkshire Police's operational strength. The force said the operation was its biggest since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
  
  
  

Shannon was last seen leaving Westmoor Junior School after a swimming lesson 24 days ago on 19 February. She was found concealed in the bottom of a divan bed in a flat in 26 Lidgate Gardens, only a mile from her home in Dewsbury Moor.

Rambling on.