Review to reveal chaotic family life of kidnapped Shannon Matthews
The serious case review is expected to largely back the way social services dealt with Shannon's family over several years after looking at the role of 22 agencies involved with them.
Although it is thought authorities may have had one earlier opportunity to intervene in the family, the report is not expected to conclude there were any opportunities to have prevented the kidnapping.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe report was ordered after Shannon was kidnapped and hidden by her own mother Karen Matthews in an attempt
to claim thousands of pounds in reward money in February
2008.
The report will be published today by the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board as an executive summary but could eventually be published in full in line with a pledge by Children's Minister Tim Loughton last week.
Senior Kirklees councillors have backed calls for the report to be published in full. Last night leader of the opposition Tory group, Coun Robert Light, said he expected that to happen – with some necessary details removed – "pretty soon".
He said Ministers had already indicated they wanted the report to be published in its entirety.
Karen Matthews was jailed for eight years in January last year for the kidnap; Michael Donovan, the uncle of her former boyfriend, was given the same term for taking Shannon and holding her prisoner.