'Nicola Bulley's reputation 'destroyed' by police'

[MyrtIe]

Article here

The points made about victim blaming and the police disclosing this information to cover themselves are spot on imo.

The usual gutter press are having a field day with this today.

What exactly was the point of it? What's it achieved, apart from compounding the heartache of her loved ones?

YABU - the police were right to divulge this sensitive information as it was relevant to the investigation

YANBU - there was absolutely no need to do so

Nicola is the healthiest looking person with "significant alcohol issues" that I've ever seen. I do hope Lancashire police have got their facts right, especially as they've admitted that they still haven't yet concluded their investigation into the incident at her home in January. Why couldn't they have just left it that she was classed as a vulnerable person? Surely that was enough information to put out there and they should not have felt pressured to satisfy the media and publics curiosity with exactly what made her vulnerable. At the beginning of the investigation they should have announced she was classed as a vulnerable person (which could have meant something as simple as she was due to take medication). That might have stopped all the crazy speculation on social media and stopped those idiots flocking to the area where she lives.

Let's not pretend people all empathise with alcoholism. It's got very negative connotations. It would likely cost her her job.

Of course these things shouldn’t be judged, but to pretend they’re not is unhelpful and stupid. And if you actually think think they’re not judged, you’re naive.

Agreed

Yeah and now her children's entire school know too and we all realise how cruel children can be.

THIS ⬆

I’m not sure people realise they are part of the baying mob.

On a board where people state that they need to know why they are being told things, it’s hard not to despair at a lack of insight.

If she has decided to just take a break this information coming out would make her not want to come back. They could have said she was depressed because usually alcohol problems are caused by depression didn't need to say drinking issues. They have spoke to family assumed she an addicted with depression because of menopause and assumed she's took her own life in the river straight away. It's shocking

But if she is out there she's got nothing to be embarrassed about. People have problems we aren't prefect.

Sal

This is what I presumed too, especially as the Mail had photos ready to go of her holding wine glasses. I think the police were trying to do damage control

98000 people are reported missing annually. That is why the scene wasn't immediately sealed off. 75% return within 24 hrs and 85% within 48 hrs. They have to use their knowledge and experience to judge which ones are likely to be crimes

Have the family consented?

Everything that happens these days is subject to armchair analysis. Nothing escapes scrutiny due to the availability and instant publication of theories, anger, comment etc. on social media, yes even this one!

We are all, every one of us who comment here, myself included a huge part of the problem the family and police have now. I hold my hand up, even though I haven't commented elsewhere apart from one reply on an earlier thread of the ten existing.

This is life today though, and reining in comment on social media is impossible. It puts families and the professionals in a difficult situation since their every move is watched, parsed and analysed mostly anonymously which makes it very easy for those with nefarious purposes.

The media are culpable also. It was probably the fact that the media was about to reveal details of NB's vulnerabilities that made the police get one step ahead.

I hope she is found whatever happens.

100%

My 14 DD (in Spain) and I agreed ont this very same thing this morning. In her case it was "I am not that stressed about my exams mama, or my weight or my periods starting". Mine was "menopause and a liking for red wine"

Fucking mental.

Exactly. We aren’t progressed enough as a society that people generally sympathise with alcoholism.

If she is alive, she will never escape that damage either. If she’s dead, her family will never escape it

I also suspect the press were about to leak stories of this whereas the police got in there first. The police couldnt win whatever line they took.

You've never had the misfortune of an alcoholic parent have you?

My feeling is it is relevant due to the scale of the public interference and also Paul and Emma’s understandable need not to reveal it, but maybe going too far in pushing the shes wonderful, would never leave agenda, which I do think has caused some of the issues in this enquiry.

And yet all your posts have included your OP have been speculation.

You are speculating over whether or not the police have any idea what they are doing, encouraging others to judge the police, and by extension the family - who would have been consulted before this information, which is pertinent to the case, was released.

There are 10,000 plus posts on MN on this woman already, and you did not need to add to them. It is despicable.

Exactly.

How do you know she is an alcoholic?

A lot of women struggle with alcohol, depression and the menopause. I don't see it as a taboo or reputation destroying, we aren't in the 1950s. I saw it as information regarding her disappearance, not victim blaming- we don't know that she was a victim of anything yet. However, I would be angry if this is presented as an excuse to stop looking by the police or looking for foul play. Depressed people can still be murdered.

Mumsnet should remove all of the threads- they are all awful

They're generating a lot of clicks though - which naturally, being an online business, HQ need

To their credit they're doing a pretty good job of removing the worst stuff, but I'd be amazed if they disallow threads altogether

It’s difficult but I do think it may be relevant to the investigation.

Agree with this

It’s not their place to manage gossip columns.

Im sick of this ‘the police can’t win’ - actually they can fucking win by not disclosing information the public DID NOT need to know to save their own failing reputation.