Losing a child is the worst nightmare for most mothers … but a few, such as Karen Matthews, have sacrificed their kids for so-called ‘love’.
Until last week, Karen Matthews was one of the most pitied mums in the UK. Now she’s easily the most hated.
Karen, 32, had the entire nation behind her after she tearfully declared her daughter Shannon was missing.
Shannon, 9, had last been seen after a school swimming trip on February 19, near her family’s home in modest Dewsbury Moor, a suburb of the town of Dewsbury in west Yorkshire.
As the weeks rolled on, Karen became a household name as she continually begged the public to look out for her child. Meanwhile, her supporters prayed for young Shannon, fearing the worst.
Not since the hunt for mass killer the Yorkshire Ripper in the 1970s had local police mounted such a massive search. More than 6000 people were interviewed in an operation costing more than $2 million.
With the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann, who vanished in Portugal a year earlier, still scarring the nation’s psyche, millions hoped poor Shannon would be found alive.
Finally, after a harrowing 24 days, those prayers were answered. Shannon was found, alive, trapped in a drawer under a bed at the home of family friend, Michael Donovan, less than two kilometres from her home. Donovan, 39, is the uncle of Karen Matthews’ live-in boyfriend Craig Meehan, 22.
While the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief, the police were still hard at work to get to the bottom of the investigation. What they found has made news around the world.
Craig Meehan was arrested after child pornography was found on his home computer — and Karen was also arrested by the police and accused of concocting the ordeal and knowing where her “missing” child was the entire time.
For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale April 21).
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