Ben Needhams mother speaks out about not getting the same support as the McCanns

[carlymichelle]

BREAKING - ‘Don’t forget Ben’ pleads Kerry Needham after Maddie boost

July 5th, 2013

Sheffield’s Kerry Needham is hoping the new twist in the Madeleine McCann investigation will boost the search for her son Ben – missing for 22 years.

But Kerry,41, has slammed Prime Minister David Cameron claiming she has never had the help the McCanns have been given.



Artists impression as to what Ben may now look like.


Kerry was happy that the Kate and Gerry McCann’s hopes of finding their daughter were given a huge boost with news that the Metropolitan Police were preparing to quiz 38 ‘people of interest’ over the disappearance.

But Kerry has made a heartfelt plea for the same help to track down Ben who was snatched from outside a farmhouse on the Greek island of Kos that was being renovated by Kerry’s parents in July 1991.

Since then Kerry, who has a daughter Leighanna ,20, and her family, from Sheffield, have had to finance the search themselves. Earlier this year she published a book ‘Ben’ to help continuing finance for her search.

Said Kerry: “If British police officers are investigating Madeleine’s disappearance and they are actually searching for her that’s brilliant but we expect the same. – they are no different.

“They are different cases obviously but at the end of the day they are two abducted children and what’s good enough for one family should be good enough for all, that’s my opinion.

“Basically we expect the same as the McCanns . There is no bitterness involved but they are two missing children , they are both British so we want the same treatment.

“If all the stops are being pulled out to find Madeleine, which is only right, then we should have the same help.

“We’ve had to do everything ourselves. We’ve had to physically get on aeroplanes and go and follow up sightings and things like that ourselves.

“The finances have been down to us, whereas millions of pounds have been thrown at the Madeleine McCann case . We haven’t had that . That was one of the reasons I needed to write my book to try and raise awareness and finances for us to continue the search.

“I know we are getting a lot of help from South Yorkshire Police now. I can’t complain about what they are doing but obviously it does come down to resources – they can only work with what they’ve got.

“We want South Yorkshire Police backed 100 per cent by the government and pull out all the stops to find Ben as well as Madeleine.”

When Kerry appealed directly to Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene, as he did in the McCann case, she was left upset and disappointed and binned his reply.

Said Kerry: “I wrote to David Cameron some time ago and eventually I did get a reply but I threw it in the bin. I’ve kept all the letters from the Foreign Office and other places but I threw that one in the bin.

“My letter to him was heartfelt from a mother begging for help. I’ve written to every Prime Minister since Ben disappeared.

“The last straw was when everything went into finding Madeleine and I wrote to him and begged him to help me saying what’s the difference between Ben and Madeleine?

“The reply was a very political letter full of jargon that meant nothing to me. It was a cold, blunt letter with no warmth at all. It wasn’t a letter from a father sympathising and empathising with a mother whose child has been missing for more than 20 years. It upset me.

“It wasn’t personal there were no feelings in it for me. I had asked what was the difference between my family and Madeleine’s family. I told him they were getting everything and I was getting nothing. I asked him why , as Prime Minister, he couldn’t step in and help me.

“The reply wasn’t what I wanted and not what I wanted to hear, it was just a bog standard letter.”I wanted him to step in and help and to push everything. I mean he’d had conversations with Kate and Gerry on the telephone and I was asking him what’s the difference between them and me?

“I’m very happy that the McCann’s are getting all the help but I want the same. South Yorkshire Police have been amazing but more can be done if there are more resources like the Madeleine McCann case has got .”

http://www.sheffieldnewsandsport.com/2013/07/05/dont-forget-ben-pleads-kerry-needham-after-maddy-boost/

[AnneGuedes]

Don't we live in democracies that at least ensure equality of care whether you're rich or poor ?
Were HRD dogs sent to the place from where Ben disappeared (as were sent to the flat from where Madeleine disappeared) ?

[John]

Just a small reminder...

Help Find Ben - There CAN Be Miracles!

Uploaded on 19 Jan 2012

A new video by the campaign to find Ben Needham highlighting the increase in awareness of Ben's story with recent campaigning on Twitter and Facebook. Please spread the news about Ben so that we can finally find him and reunite him with his family! Thanks to BBC Missing 2011, ITV Calendar and STV for footage used in this clip. Please visit our websites at:

http://www.helpfindben.co.uk (Main Site)
http://www.facebook.com/helpfindben (Our main English Facebook)
http://www.facebook.com/benneedhamgreece (Our Greek Facebook Page)
http://www.twitter.com/findbenneedham (Our main English Twitter)
http://www.twitter.com/findbengreece (Our Greek Twitter)
http://www.youtube.com/helpfindben (Our YouTube Account)

You can join the next Facebook/Twitter event at the Facebook event page at this link: http://www.facebook.com/events/113450...

And our Balloon for Ben Event from this link: http://www.facebook.com/events/223300...

"When You Believe" song performed by Celtic Woman

[Carana]

Don't we live in democracies that at least ensure equality of care whether you're rich or poor ?
Were HRD dogs sent to the place from where Ben disappeared (as were sent to the flat from where Madeleine disappeared) ?

The level of assistance seems to have improved since 1991. And I hope it continues for the sake of all families of missing people.

[Redblossom]

The level of assistance seems to have improved since 1991. And I hope it continues for the sake of all families of missing people.

This is 2013, and preference has been taken. The British authorities have spent six years and millions getting involved in the Mccann case, do you know what time and and what resources they spent for Ben Needham? There might be an argument the trail is colder in the latter case, but they wouldnt know unless they tried to find out.

The  will is obviously not there.

[Carana]

This is 2013, and preference has been taken. The British authorities have spent six years and millions getting involved in the Mccann case, do you know what time and and what resources they spent for Ben Needham? There might be an argument the trail is colder in the latter case, but they wouldnt know unless they tried to find out.

The  will is obviously not there.

Hard to tell exactly what help was provided or not. I had never heard of that diseappearance prior to the McCann case, but then 24/7 news on Internet sites wasn't available back then.

Experts do seem to have checked whether the child could have been buried near the house, and that seems not to have been the case.

Late, I know, I wish it had been properly checked way back then.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ben-needham-police-to-start-digging-1384886

[Redblossom]

Hard to tell exactly what help was provided or not. I had never heard of that diseappearance prior to the McCann case, but then 24/7 news on Internet sites wasn't available back then.

Experts do seem to have checked whether the child could have been buried near the house, and that seems not to have been the case.

Late, I know, I wish it had been properly checked way back then.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ben-needham-police-to-start-digging-1384886

the question remains why one case is being funded to the tune of millions over and above  the millions already spent by two police forces and monies to private di cks,  whereas in the other the mothers reuquest has been flatly denied by the government, interesting question overall, tennis calls,later

[AnneGuedes]

the question remains why one case is being funded to the tune of millions over and above  the millions already spent by two police forces and monies to private di cks,  whereas in the other the mothers reuquest has been flatly denied by the government, interesting question overall, tennis calls,later

Was Ben as much abducted as Madeleine, meaning was it a possibility among others ?
The magic word is "abduction". Had Madeleine died accidentally in the flat when she was left alone, who would know about it ? The parents would have been hold responsible, but nobody can blame them if their child was abducted from her bed. Had the child been abducted in the supermarket, would the compassion be the same ?

[Jazzy]

What parent wouldn't feel the same as Kerry? I absolutely agree with her and any parent with  a missing child. Why this child? That said though, this child has the investigation every child should have, and she is still missing, SY suggest they might bring closure in her case.

Ben should have the same, he might still, who knows?

[Redblossom]

What parent wouldn't feel the same as Kerry? I absolutely agree with her and any parent with  a missing child. Why this child? That said though, this child has the investigation every child should have, and she is still missing, SY suggest they might bring closure in her case.

Ben should have the same, he might still, who knows?

yea right, will he
lets hope though  and then SY pour 10 million into discovering what happened to claudia lawrence or every single british citizen who is missing

It is obvious the PM was forced into this

[Luz]

This is 2013, and preference has been taken. The British authorities have spent six years and millions getting involved in the Mccann case, do you know what time and and what resources they spent for Ben Needham? There might be an argument the trail is colder in the latter case, but they wouldnt know unless they tried to find out.

The  will is obviously not there.

I know this is not the place nor the time...
...the children are the least of the worries for the British Government. What they are doing is the same they have done for all the lost children. The six years effort of the UK government and the millions of pounds expended are not directed at finding a child but on protecting directly a couple and indirectly, only God knows whom.

[Luz]

Just a small reminder...

Help Find Ben - There CAN Be Miracles!

Uploaded on 19 Jan 2012

A new video by the campaign to find Ben Needham highlighting the increase in awareness of Ben's story with recent campaigning on Twitter and Facebook. Please spread the news about Ben so that we can finally find him and reunite him with his family! Thanks to BBC Missing 2011, ITV Calendar and STV for footage used in this clip. Please visit our websites at:

http://www.helpfindben.co.uk (Main Site)
http://www.facebook.com/helpfindben (Our main English Facebook)
http://www.facebook.com/benneedhamgreece (Our Greek Facebook Page)
http://www.twitter.com/findbenneedham (Our main English Twitter)
http://www.twitter.com/findbengreece (Our Greek Twitter)
http://www.youtube.com/helpfindben (Our YouTube Account)

You can join the next Facebook/Twitter event at the Facebook event page at this link: http://www.facebook.com/events/113450...

And our Balloon for Ben Event from this link: http://www.facebook.com/events/223300...

"When You Believe" song performed by Celtic Woman

Bump

This kid must be found.

Ben's mum, keep your strength.

[Carana]

His body was not found around the grandparents' house, after a recent thorough forensic examination.

He might therefore be alive somewhere (or even dead somewhere). The family needs to know.

If he's still alive, the best chance now might be that he sees the missing child profile on social media and wonders if it might be him.

A kidnapped little boy in China (albeit a bit older) managed to convey his early childhood memories to a social network which helped him to research where he'd disappeared from.

[valeria]

dont forget that Ben was lost while wandered off outside a farmhouse on a country road. Re as i know there is not the slightest indication of abduction. An accident is much more likely. Of course we dont know details about this case. Files have not been made public. However, police havent stopped to look for him. Here in Greece it has become known that there have been dna tests on gypsis who happen to have a diferent appearance, even recently. After the case in cyprous that had gotten a lot of publicity these tests are done discreetly and made little mention on the media.

[Carana]

dont forget that Ben was lost while wandered off outside a farmhouse on a country road. Re as i know there is not the slightest indication of abduction. An accident is much more likely. Of course we dont know details about this case. Files have not been made public. However, police havent stopped to look for him. Here in Greece it has become known that there have been dna tests on gypsis who happen to have a diferent appearance, even recently. After the case in cyprous that had gotten a lot of publicity these tests are done discreetly and made little mention on the media.

Welcome Valeria.

An accident is definitely a possibility, but the recent forensic ground search didn't reveal anything.  I suppose that it can't be exluded that wild animals or construction machinery took his remains away at some point, possibly years ago. However, abduction can't be excluded either.

Sometimes miracles do happen.

Whatever has happened, the family needs closure.