Comments on: Shannon Matthews: No Portuguese Police, Class And Trial By Media

By: Nostradamus

Nostradamus — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:59:54 +0000

When this first hit the headlines, and before we all knew the facts we know now (however small). I believed an apartment had been broken into a child had been snatched whilst sleeping in her bed. I assumed her parents had been in the next room asleep. My gut reaction was ‘I hope she’s dead’ not because I wanted her dead, but because I wanted her pain and suffering to be over with and as short lived as possible, and my heart ached for the pain and torment her parents must be going through.

As time went on and more and more facts (I mean facts) came out my compassion for them ceased. I could not / cannot be compassionate for parents who left 3 children in the circumstances they did. Nether can I be compassionate for parents whose stories differ conflict with others etc etc, which could ultimately be because they are in some way involved. This could be the case, itis possible and statistics back up this possibility.

I did not like peoples assumptions of “they didn’t act like I would if it was me” simply because we don’t know how we would react. However Rhys Jones’s mum brought me back to reality. Yes I do know how I would react I would react how she and many many - other parents would react. As for the fact that Rhys is dead making a diference - no not if we are realistic about what an abductor of a 3/4 year old little girl wanted her for. I would be off my head and round the twist by now and I certainly couldn’t go on with life as before, maybe in small doses for the sake of my other children with a heck of a lot of help, but I mean very short moments of time. The rest I would be screaming and pleading certainly at the media as a way of speaking to the abductor.

If they are innocent of everything other than their serious neglect of their children and they really do not know where she is or what is happening to her, then I do have COMPASSION for them in their plight of not knowing her fate and knowing they were to blame. I think her being missing and not knowing if she suffered or is still suffering would be worse even than knowing she was dead and at peace.

By: i-dont-believe-them

i-dont-believe-them — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:29:27 +0000

14 Nicola - “Leave Karen Matthews alone- she has done nothing wrong” -

sorry, she let a parade of men into her daughter’s life which placed her in danger, according to family members.

and it must be recognised that when the rich kill it is always more interesting than when the poor do it, if that is what has happened!

By: Candy

Candy — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:34:48 +0000

1 Dave

hello

I agree - I would like to see McCanns being grilled like that

By: The Original Stan

The Original Stan — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:57:47 +0000

And I haven’t a doubt that if Shannon’s parents had the same money and connections that make the McCanns capable of funding that search, they would use it all to find their missing child.

Yeh instead of paying their mortgage with it perhaps?

Shannon is just as important as Madeleine..and the police seem to be taking her case very seriously which is encouraging..therefore i dont give a rats fcuk what the media says about it..or doesnt say…the police are the ones who will solve Shannon’s case..media coverage is of no importance..it has been covered so that near enough anyone in Britain will know her if they see her..which in my opinion is enough..I feel the most important thing is that the police take it seriously..and if she has been abducted perhaps too much media coverage would be counter-productive..?

By: Nicola

Nicola — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:52:20 +0000

I am sick and tired of working class people getting the short straw when it comes to sympathy from the media in missing children cases. Does it matter that the woman has seven children? No. Does it bear relevance on the story of Shannon going missing? No. Absolutely not. Why has the press pounced on the words “council estate”, “run down”, “dysfunctional”, “complicated”, “scruffy”? Is this a sensible, non-bias way of reporting? No. It is a disgrace to the profession of journalism that these people actually have jobs. Running down people because they are of a certain class. When did the McCanns get quizzed on live radio by the BBC? Asked about their family live- was Gerry ever asked did he lash out at Madeleine or shout at her? Were they interogated for hte whole world to witness? No. Leave Karen Matthews alone- she has done nothing wrong, only the person who is with holding information or keeping Shannon has done wrong.

Mods and Admin

Nicola, what you say is very true. Here on Anorak the anomolies have been recognised and discussed, if you check our archives? There should be no difference whatsoever.

By: i-dont-believe-them

i-dont-believe-them — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:05:22 +0000

oh, rubbish. you don’t give a hoot about the two girls. you don’t know them and you are only reacting the way you think you should react - for public consumption. there are millions of children dying daily of malnutrition and war and you probably dont spend a second thinking about them.

no, we care about the maddy story because supposedly nice parents who kill their own and then lie about it (believed) are always more interesting than low class brutes who kill and lie. simple.

By: CT

CT — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:00:17 +0000

WTG DAVE, my first thought exactly. Too bad they were not in the UK at the time….
I know exactly what you mean.
I find the mothers comments of thinking someone has done this to spite her, interesting at best. This isnt about her. She shouldnt be thinking of herself, she should be only thinking of her child. They also did not use the audio intv as an oppt to shout out to Shannon and say, “We Love you Shannon come home to us please, if you can hear this….no matter what happened we love you, we need you to come home”
I needed to hear that from them both. And, I didnt.
CT

By: KB

KB — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:53:22 +0000

People sympathise with Madeleine more because she is 4 years old, and yes, she is exceptionally pretty. Which means we can only imagine what she is going through, and she is too young to understand.
But so is Shannon.
Its not fair, no, but I think we also love Madeleine because we know more about her. Her personal life, home videos of her with her family. Pictures that show a happy little girl. Heartbroken parents that don’t beg teary-eyed for her return day and night in front of the camera, but instead go out and head a massive global campaign to find her, refusing to give up hope for her return.
And I haven’t a doubt that if Shannon’s parents had the same money and connections that make the McCanns capable of funding that search, they would use it all to find their missing child.
But the thing is, there are differences that make the media less interested. 1) Madeleine was taken from a family friendly holiday resort. Shannon disappeared walking home from swimming in a neighbourhood, that, as the media tells us, has 1400 sex offenders surrounding it. Not quite as shocking. 2) Madeleine was sleeping. Shannon was walking.
3) Unfortunately, Madeleine has a bit more of a camera face. Shannon is beautiful, but Maddie is 4. 4) Madeleine has that mark in her eye. Easier to look for.
And all the media ever says in the Shannon case is that we should shun the McCanns and look for her instead because her family doesn’t have the same kind of money. The thing is, we’re tired of hearing them just complain about that. We want news.
But I beg you not to get me wrong, Madeleine and Shannon are equally important.

oh, and i-dont-believe-them, that would be because Madeleine has been missing for eight months. Much longer than Shannon. Much more news. And it really is easier to laugh at the Portuguese police because as far as I know the British did everything right. The Portuguese didn’t even seal off the crime scene or recognise a picture of Madeleine.

By: i-dont-believe-them

i-dont-believe-them — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:53:07 +0000

Still only 10 posts and Maddie over 300.

By: yampster

yampster — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:21:37 +0000

8
JuneJohnson

But But . Your name end in ‘N’ …..Yampster is my surname

By: i-dont-believe-them

i-dont-believe-them — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:20:25 +0000

poor shannon, she has only 8 posts so far and Madeleine has 96.

are the posters of Anorak are exercising class bias?

By: JuneJohnson

JuneJohnson — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:09:09 +0000

Yampster

It could be an academic fact that the difference in parental love and care is down to an ‘e’, Kylie has one, Dannii does not.
Kylie also got to snog a lot with Jason ( Dreamcoat) Donovan, again Dannii didn’t.
So, does having your name end in ‘e’ up all the ante’s?

Yours ends in ‘r’, mine ends in drumroll….. wait for it …an ‘e’

By: yampster

yampster — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:28:24 +0000

6
Karen

Kyliiii and Daniiiii both born in Australia - Fact

Walsall North Labour MP John Stonehouse fakes his own death and flees - Fact

John Stonehouse turns up in 1974 in Australia - Fact

John Stonehouse come back to the UK leaving Kyliiiiii (aged 6) and Daniii (Aged 3) behind in Australia - Fact

Stone Houses are built by Masons!!!!!!! - Fact

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:11:44 +0000

Yampster

We should, but we wont, it’s a conspiracy.

By: Maravilha

Maravilha — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:07:12 +0000

What a very sad story. Maybe she was abducted, maybe she runned away.

Very sad indeed but somehow I’m glad the British police are as incapable as the Portuguese PJ.

It is very difficult to find a child who disappeared.
How are the British media reacting on the capacity of the Scotland Yard?
As furious as they were about the PJ?

By: yampster

yampster — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:02:24 +0000

Kylie more loved than Danii??

That sound like child neglect to me!!! How come the parents of both allowed this to happen. Do they have the same parents? Does one of them perhaps, (twirls moustache and waits for drum roll at this point), have a step parent. We should be told

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:45:17 +0000

Sammy J

I agree but the harsh fact is - the McCann lifestyle is aspirational, the Karen Matthews lifestyle isn’t - so people weep over Madeleine and we gripe over Shannon (why should she be less important… - she just is - like Kylie Minogue will always be more loved than Danni).

By: sammy J

sammy J — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:25:33 +0000

typical! Working class mother with loads of kids gets bad press and little help, whilst other rich doctor types who misplace their 3 year old get thousands of pounds in support.
Maybe her husband did do something to Shannon, maybe the doctors did something to their little one but why is one family so deserving of help whilst another is condemned as guilty based purely upon thier housing status?
That would make me more likely to ‘off’ my kids as I rent my house, as opposed to the people who own the house next door.
And although some mornings they tempt me, renting my house does not give me murderous tendencies toward the little blighters!
Well done Janet Street Porter. Well said!

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:18:21 +0000

If only others were put through such intensive interview…