Today marks 15 years since police announced Shannon Matthews was missing, but where is she now?
Shannon and her family made headlines in 2008 when the nine-year-old disappeared.
However, in a bizarre turn of events it emerged that her disappearance was, in fact, a sick hoax played on the nation by her mother Karen Matthews.
Yesterday (February 19), marked the 15th anniversary of the day that Shannon was reported missing to police – who made the story public the following day.
So where is she now, and what happened to Karen?
Here’s everything you need to know about the infamous case.
Who is Shannon Matthews?
Shannon Louise Matthews was born on September 9 1998.
She attended Westmoor Junior School, Dewsbury Moor.
She was a normal little girl, until she became involuntarily famous in the UK when she ‘went missing’.
Shannon ‘disappeared’ in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, on February 19 2008.
It became a major missing person police operation, compared to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
It was the biggest police inquiry in the area since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
Police spent millions on the operation.
At the time, her mother Karen and her partner Craig Meehan made numerous public appeals.
How was Shannon Matthews found?
After 24 days, Shannon was alive and well and discovered on March 14 2008.
It emerged that Karen had plotted the kidnap with her boyfriend’s uncle, Michael Donovan.
Karen and Michael drugged Shannon with sedatives and hid her in the base of a divan bed at Michael’s house.
Michael had learning difficulties, with an IQ of around just half the national average.
Police arrested Michael on the scene, and charged him with kidnapping and false imprisonment.
They also arrested Karen, who was 44 at the time.
She was found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
Shannon and Michael planned to release Shannon after a while and claim the £50,000 reward.
A jury found Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan guilty.
They were sentenced to eight years imprisonment following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.
They served half of their sentence and were released in 2012.
Why will she never speak out publicly?
Shannon Matthews will never speak publicly due to a lifetime reporting restriction.
The High Court granted Shannon lifelong anonymity.
Shannon’s identity and whereabouts is a secret and will remain that way.
Her siblings also received anonymity for life due to a court order banning their identities from ever being revealed.
Karen has seven children, including Shannon, by five different fathers.
All were taken into care and given new identities and are protected for life.
Where is Shannon Matthews now?
Shannon is currently 25 years of age and is living under a new identity.
She received a new identity and family and her location can never be disclosed.
In 2018, her grandparents June and Gordon Matthews spoke to the Daily Mail and revealed they had seen a recent picture of their granddaughter.
I literally lost my best friend, like the only person I want to talk to and wanted to be around.
They described her as “beautiful”.
Shannon’s childhood best friend Megan Aldridge was never reunited with Shannon.
Speaking in a Channel 5 documentary, she said: “It was upsetting and still is upsetting I’m not going to see her.
“I literally lost my best friend, like the only person I want to talk to and wanted to be around.”
She then added: “I genuinely hope she’s living the life she wanted now after everything she’s been through, she deserves to be happy.”
Does Shannon still see her mum Karen?
Shannon has no contact with her mum Karen or her grandparents.
June and Gordon Matthews were too old to take responsibility for the children at the time.
Shannon received a court-appointed new identity.
Her grandparents receive occasional updates from social services, but do not have any contact with her.
Where is Karen Matthews now?
Karen is out of prison and is thought to have moved to the south of England.
It’s claimed that she dyed her hair black after being released.
It has also been claimed that she found God in 2020.
Karen was recently pictured with her boyfriend Paul Saunders – a convicted paedophile.
As a result, he’ll have to sign the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
Friends have claimed that the pair are “inseparable” and act like “teenagers in love”.
Karen’s story was turned into a high-profile TV drama, The Moorside starring Sheridan Smith, as well as a documentary.
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