English Opinion

Shannon Matthews was 9 years old on Februry 16th 2008 when she went missing. She had been held for 24 days before police found her but was one of the lucky ones. She was found alive and well, albeit drugged to keep her quiet. By that point, the police search had cost the taxpayer £3.2 million and police were convinced that they were looking for a body. Family friend Michael Donovan was found hiding in the house in which Shannon Matthews was held captive and was arrested, but if it was shocking that a family friend had kidnapped her then worse was yet to come.

Just days after Michael Donovan was arrested on charges of kidnapping, so was Shannon Matthews’ mother. Karen Matthews gave a very different story to Michael Donovan but I think that it was quite clear that they held her captive for so long in order to claim a £50,000 reward for her safe return. I cannot believe that any mother would do such an awful thing to her child. To drug Shannon, arrange for her to be kidnapped and then held in a flat whilst attached to a rope line so she could only move into certain rooms… and all for the sake of money. I was brought up to believe that there are more important things in life than money and, whilst it is nice to have a little something in the bank, the well being of my family would always come first. I cannot comprehend why anyone would give up her daughter for money, let alone risk her life like that.

Michael Donovan and Karen Matthews were both found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice today and will be sentenced later on this week. I hope they both get years behind bars to reassess their priorities.

This is the second story this week of a mother bringing about harm to a child. First there was Baby P. Although Karen Matthews cannot be put on the same level as those depraved monsters, she nevertheless caused her little girl mental anguish and physical harm. What type of mothers would subject their children, their own flesh and blood, to such wicked and cruel acts?

Conversely, baby Hope Williams, one of the conjoined twins born to 18 year old Laura Williams, died after an operation to separate her from her sister, Faith. In effect, Hope died to save her sister, although little Faith Williams is now in a critical state and only stands a 50/50 chance of survival. Poor Laura Williams has to mourn Hope whilst praying that Faith has the strength to pull through. You look at the cases mentioned above and then this one and fully realise that life is cruel. Good mothers like Laura Williams lose children through circumstance and no fault of their own, but monsters like Tracey Connelly (Baby P’s mother) and Karen Matthews do not deserve to have children in the first place. 

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