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Today's episode deals with violence towards children and child neglect. It won't be suitable

for all listeners.

Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews woke up on Tuesday February 19, 2008. On the top bunk of the

bed she shared with her two-year-old half-sister. It was a school morning and for once she really

had something to look forward to. Her fourth-year class had their first swimming lesson that day,

and she had been looking forward to it for ages. Despite the freezing room, she crawled

out and sleepily climbed down the ladder to get ready. It didn't take Shannon long to

remember the argument she'd had with her mother Karen Matthews and her stepdad Craig

me and the night before. They got into it, and Shannon had sworn a Crag.

Woods Shannon ran down the road in tears to her uncle Martin's. Martin was a man's brother,

and Shannon was good friends with his children, her cousins. Shannon cried and asked Martin if

she could stay with them. Martin had heard this before, and he was reluctant to say no,

but he didn't want to interfere. After a short stay, he asked his ten-year-old daughter

...