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Did anyone watch the SHANNON MATTHEWS documentary?

Hi did anyone watch the shannon matthews documentary last night? I watched it with my oh and i couldnt understand the way her mother and step father Craig were acting? You very rarely saw any emotion form them when tlking about Shannon and seemed more wrapped up in what the media were saying about them! I'm not being funny but iw ouldnt give a toss what the madia were saying about me as long as it kept the story in the news there for increasing the chances of my child being found! I couldnt understand why they werent doing as many press interviews as humanly possible if it meant that there was a slight chance it could lead to there childs rescue. I might sound heartless but it would kill me if anything happened to my child and i certainly wouldnt have been laughing on camera 2 weeks after my child had vanished. The bit were that young lad was in the front room telling her mum that they were checking all the peodphiles houses and how one was a right nasty piece of work, there is no chance my oh would let someone say those thing in fornt of me in that situation, but she didnt even seem to give a reaction. Id have been inconsoleable. Maybe i just interpritated it wrong, what did you think?

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  • Hi Speckle, I didn't see it but it does come across as something just not being quite right in this case. I am really pleased that they found Shannon but why hasn't she been returned home? Why has her mum not been allowed contact with her yet? I hope I am wrong but feel that the mum & step dad may have something more to do with this than they are letting on. Tammi xxx
    28 weeks
  • I don't think the parents have anything to do with it but as the kidnapper was a relative to the family they can't have them influencing Shannon.
  • It really was awful, i was embarassed watching it. It made the people off shameless look like royalty. i thought that the lack of emotion was unbelievable and how could they laugh and joke about pissing the media off. if it were my daughter id have to be sedated 24/7 i'd be climbing the walls with worry. They sat there picking fault with the McCanns who after all are in the same boat. One bloke even said "it were the own fault sat there stuffing thir faces while the little uns where left on their own" well i watched that documentary wondering WHY toddlers were playing in the street in the freezing cold while their parents were playing up to the media and drinking cans of lager. I agree with you Tammi it is a bit suspect that she hasnt been allowed to go home yet. mind you if anything has happened to that poor girl while in captivity how on earth would she ever get over it living in that circus council estate knowing that everyone knows what she's been through and never forgotten. Bless her. xx
  • I saw it too and it was just awful. I'm not saying that because their working class they should have any less attention or concern than maddie's parents did but the way the acted just played up to what everyone was thinking. They so rarely showed any emotion and I cant even begin to understand why they would let a film crew in to film them while going through every parents worst nightmare. Something is definatly suspect, the way they were so calm throughout. If it were my daughter there is no way I could sit there eating and drinking and laughing with my friends about someone fitting in a freezer! Poor shannon, whatever that poor little girls been through must have been hell and you can only hope that someone looks after her.
  • The family live about 1/2 a mile from me. The estate is made up of 97% of people just like them. They are not working class, they are lower than that. There is all sorts of abuse and inter breeding going on in that estate and poor Shannon has had a lucky escape. Allegedly her real father is on the sex offenders register. They are all illiterate. What chance do any of them really have???
  • Hi Fern, looks like the poor kids don't really stand much of a chance to they? I had wondered why there hasn't been much talk/coverage of her real dad. Was also reading in the paper today about her mum and that only 3 of her 7 kids live at home with her! Where are the rest???
    Tammi xxx
  • I dont think any of us could even come close to imagine how we would react if we were in that position, unless of course there is anyone who has had experience of a missing child.

    The documentary did show however the day Shannon went missing and then they didnt start the filming for 2 weeks after, who knows how we would carry on functioning.
    Maddies parents went jogging the day after Maddie went missing..is that right or wrong...........who knows!

    As far as not caring what is being said in the newspapers, i would be a little hurt if my mum accused my husband of being violent, made me out to be uncaring, hard faced etc.
    Isnt it hard enough for the family to be in this situation without being dragged through the hedges about the way they live.

    There were a few things about the programme that were weird though, the woman who sent her daughter out to sell raffle tickets and said "don't be knocking on doors by yourself, take a friend", she didnt know if a peadophile had abducted Shannon but it didnt occur that sending her young daughter out was dangerous.
    Also they were slating the McCanns media attention, but were sending photographers away and refusing interviews, i didnt understand what the families were complaining about really.

    It seemed however that there were far too many people hovering about in that house that maybe neednt have been there, teenage lads with teenage opinions (although at times they were the most sensible lol).

    I did think though that Shannons mum looked wrecked and just functioning for the other people in that house. No she wasnt in tears for the whole programme but it was a 1 hour programme how can we make a honest judgement on that.?

    Shannon IS probably in the best place for the time being, and there are issues within her family that need help and support.
  • I personally didnt understand that whole meaning behind the documentary!

    They refused alot of photographers and press releases but were filming a documentary that would in no way help to get shannon back! I'm sorry but to me they just didnt seem that concerned at all, yes it was only an hour programme but if one of your children had been taken would you really let your 2 year old daughter play on the street without adult supervision? I dont let my son out of my sight as it is and i live in a very quiet neighbourhood!

    They just didnt seem to show any emotion at all adn as i've said before i wouldnt have cared less what anyone had said or printed in the papers if it meant that it just might bring me one step furthur to getting my child back.

    Like it just been said, who would send there child selling raffle tickets door to door when they dont know what had happened to poor Shannon?


  • I kind of felt the same speckle with regards to not really knowing the whole point of the documentary, to me all it did was give us who dont live that kind of life the opportunity to slate it I guess, human nature I know but why put yourself in that position, I think that the family did beleive it would help though.

    As for the 2 yr old playing out, I must of missed that bit lol.
    I was faffing about with my pc at the same time!

    I dont know the answers but why do some paretns feel its ok to leave their kids unattended in any situation, a 2yr old in the street or left in an apartment block etc, what makes them think they would be safe in any situation?

    After Maddie went missing I questioned myself as the week before I had sat with friends in my garden having a BBQ and a few drinks, my 3 yr old was upstairs in bed asleep but my front door was closed but unlocked, anyone could have walked upstairs taken him and walked out without me having a clue, I would have been portrayed as the worlds worst mother had anything happened like that.

    I can say that I think I wouldnt be able to speak or function if my child went missing but I just dont know for sure, coping mechanisms kick and will make you do the most amazing things at times I guess.

    I still think Shannons mum is not to blame in all this but I do agree that something is just not quite right hmmm.
  • Personally I have never had a child go missing but I can understand slightly what it might be like as on Sunday my 14 yr old step daughter came down stairs in tears saying that her mate had gone missing since the night before and that her mum had just called to see if she knew anything. I was in tears and had my step daughter calling round all of her friends trying to find out if anyone knew anything. Luckly her mate turned up that night (had been at a party she shouldn't have been at!). But the worry kicked in so quick and it wasn't even my daughter. Only good thing to come out of the situatuion was a chance to make Bex see how important it was to tell us were she is and what she is up to. Hopefully we can all learn some lessons by others mistakes.
    Tammi xxx
    http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev165pf___.png


  • They were so poorly educated they could barely read or write - that's the thing that struck me the most.

    I think when any child goes missing there is always a question in the publics/media's mind about were the parents involved. I felt quite sad watching the documentary - yes they don't appear to be the best parents, and no it's certainly not the way I'd choose to raise my child/ren however surely she is doing the best she can with the limited skills she has.

    Reading between the lines and how it was portrait the mother didn't seem to have had much love or mothering herself and the social problems of having lots of children to lots of men, or living on benefits, or not being able to read or write, or have your children play unsupervised is a far deeper rooted issue than in solely this one family.

    I felt so sad that when they were trying to raise funds to create posters they were talking in terms of -I got ??5 of such and such person' ... & the bloke talking about using his penny jar even though it might well leave him short.
    It's awful that both these and the McCann's have had there children go missing... perhaps when they were talking about the media attention they were talking in terms of a power imbalance rather than favouritism, but didn't have the ability to express it properly.

    The McCann's are both well educated, and well spoken (it's surprising how much authority that gives somebody) and were able to grasp the concept of using the media to benefit more so than Shannon's family were... I think Shannon's family felt wholly over whelmed with the negative connotations and wondered how having nasty comments made about them would enable the safe return of there missing child.

    I work as an Adventure youth worker and I do detached work late at night with kids on the streets (yes the same ones everyone seem frightened of) I am often surprised at the quantity of young children whom -play out' till all hours... however if you go back years ago this was the social norm... it is really only a recent thinking that children are not -safe' when out alone.

    For me what this highlights - the McCann's desperately wanted there children and went the ivf root to obtain them, they are well educated gave there children beautiful holidays, A lovely home, with consistent parenting, love, and really all the things a child could need for a good start in life... Shannon's family - came from a poor back ground, ill educated, riddled with social problems, I'm sure they love her all the same...

    Both families both made the same mistake of leaving there child unsupervised - but surely the amount they have suffered and the guilt they must feel themselves is enough without society at a whole making further judgement...

    Lets hope that Shannon wasn't hurt and that the authorities who currently have her will honestly make the best choice for that child... and that the McCann's get an answer as to what has happened to Maddie because surely the not knowing now is the worst part.

    It can happen to anyone - I went missing when I was about 3 only for a few mins in Marks and Sparks I had climbed under some clothes and was feeling the lables but for the 15 mins I was gone my mum nearly had heart failure... i'm sure other parents have experianced there child go missing briefly but its been okay because it's been some silly like what happened to me..

    Lets try to remember that there are preditiors out there like the children that took Jamie Bulger and that as human beings it impossible to be 100% aware 100% of the time!

    xxx
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