Maddy McCann missing in Portugal

[Siobhan]

Just found this whilst looking at the tv guide on ITV website

Shannon Matthews: The Family's Story
Tomorrow on Channel 4 from 9:00pm to 10:00pm
Cutting Edge film following the family of Shannon Matthews in the five days leading up to her discovery last Friday. The film offers an intimate portrait of the nine-year old's mother Karen and stepfather Craig as they deal with every parent's worst nightmare - from the moments of despair to their relief as Shannon is found - while living in the eye of a media storm

If my daughter was missing the last thing I'd want was TV crews filming me

didn't seem to stop the mcCanns

[Perdita]

Would not give too much on the Shannon Matthew documentary, probably a lot of guess work and speculation, or else the papers would have had a field day by now if they really knew something new by now.

[pookie1968uk]

The family of Shannon Matthews are facing the agony of not having her back home for Easter.

As her siblings enjoy Easter eggs and the school holidays, the nine-year-old has still not been reunited with her family and friends back in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Shannon is now in the care of Kirklees Family Services on a voluntary basis and it is thought that she will not be going home for some time.

Her mother Karen, 32, stepfather Craig Meehan, 22, and siblings Tony, 11, Cameron, five, and Courtney, two, will have to try to enjoy Easter without her.

Shannon disappeared on February 19 and was eventually discovered less than a mile from her home 24 days after she went missing.

On Wednesday, family members planted a pink magnolia tree in the centre of the front garden at their home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire.

Karen Matthews's cousin Susan Howgate, said it still remained unclear when Shannon would be coming home.

She said: "I was going to buy her a Easter egg but my husband said there's no point as we don't know how long she will be away.

"When she comes home I'm planning a big party just for family members. We just don't know when that will be."

why so long for her to go back home?

[Kim]

Awh, that's a shame. I'm sure they'll be able to enjoy it more than they would have done had they not of known that Shannon was still alive. At least they know where she is in care; when she was missing she could have been out of the country.

[Chloe O'brien]

There could be a number of reasons on why Shannon has not returned home yet:

1 That of the media attention. If she was to return home the press would be camping on her doorstep for weeks, because as we know over the years when a child has been abducted they usually turn up dead.

2 The authorities don't beileve that returning Shannon home would be in the best intrests of the child. If you take into consideration on what happened before and after Shannon was found. We found out that Shannon's mum has 7 kids to 5 different fathers. I'm not going to cast judgement on Shannon's mum as circumstances are differnent for every family and it doesn't mean that shannon and her sisters and brother's are loved or cared for any less than any other family, but if you look at the scene after she was found there was a huge part with adults being drunk around kids. and now with Shannon's auntie saying that they are going to have a huge party when she does come home.

I'm sorry but I just get the impression that this constant drinking and having parties is a regular occurance in Shannon's upbringing and that is why she is being held in care.

Whatever the reasons for Shannon still being in care we may never know, but one thing is for sure her life will never be the same again.

[Joanne]

I thought it was just because interviewing her is a slow and laborious process, the police have to be extra cautious because of her age and they don't want her coming into contact with anyone who may influence anything that she may/may not say to the police.

[Pinkbanana]

I thought it was just because interviewing her is a slow and laborious process, the police have to be extra cautious because of her age and they don't want her coming into contact with anyone who may influence anything that she may/may not say to the police.

Well if that was just the case...wouldnt they have the mother with her whilst she was being interviewed??? To keep a mother and daughter apart, especially after such a long period of time (included the time she has been missing) surely must be for a darn good reason, and thought to be in the best interest of the child....I therefore think, Shannon, may end up in care...

[Joanne]

I thought it was just because interviewing her is a slow and laborious process, the police have to be extra cautious because of her age and they don't want her coming into contact with anyone who may influence anything that she may/may not say to the police.

Well if that was just the case...wouldnt they have the mother with her whilst she was being interviewed??? To keep a mother and daughter apart, especially after such a long period of time (included the time she has been missing) surely must be for a darn good reason, and thought to be in the best interest of the child....I therefore think, Shannon, may end up in care...

Why do you think they're being kept apart then?

[Pinkbanana]

I thought it was just because interviewing her is a slow and laborious process, the police have to be extra cautious because of her age and they don't want her coming into contact with anyone who may influence anything that she may/may not say to the police.

Well if that was just the case...wouldnt they have the mother with her whilst she was being interviewed??? To keep a mother and daughter apart, especially after such a long period of time (included the time she has been missing) surely must be for a darn good reason, and thought to be in the best interest of the child....I therefore think, Shannon, may end up in care...

Why do you think they're being kept apart then?

I dont know...I am just giving my opinion, I think that a child who has been separated from her mother already for three week, then after being found...still not reunited seems very odd to me...

Why wouldnt the police reunite her with her mother unless there was a very good reason....one that we might find out in time...

[Chloe O'brien]

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Shannon Matthews have arrested her stepfather on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
Craig Meehan, 22, was arrested after officers on the Shannon Matthews case carried out inspections on a number of computers.
Mr Meehan was arrested at the family home at 0800 BST on Wednesday.
Michael Donovan, 39, of Lidgate Gardens, Dewsbury, West Yorks, has been charged with kidnapping Shannon.
West Yorkshire Police said in a statement: "During inquiries by the Shannon Matthews investigation team, the contents of a number of computers have been examined.
"As a result of this work, police have arrested a 22-year-old man from the Dewsbury Moor area on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. "He is currently being questioned at a West Yorkshire Police Station."