'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

They’ve handled it really badly, it seems as if they don’t have a proper media strategy. Say nothing then WHAM drop a massive clanger like this. That poor woman and her family. The police should have stuck to their guns and got on with solving the case without comment, only updating where necessary. Whilst this is relevant to the case but not something the public needed to know. However, the interest and interference from the public has been shocking and bizarre so I understand they are under pressure but then they are the police and should stand firm.

Hear hear.

Is everyone as up in arms about the fact information was released about police visiting the home recently of the family who were murdered in a murder/suicide?

It painted a bigger picture and although the armchair detectives used it - again - to draw the known conclusions it was information felt relevant to report and so it was.

My only hope is the gaming get some answered and those poor children don't go through life not knowing what happened to their mum. They will be aware she had addiction issues and her MH wasn't good. That being published won't affect them. Never knowing absolutely will.

Poor, poor woman. All they had to say was that she was vulnerable. I've seen that written in missing person articles in our local paper if a vulnerable person goes missing. It's respectful, but informative. read the bbc news article.

The details were released because someone was about to sell them to the media.

If they had said she was vulnerable the details would have been sold to the media and it would still have been out there.

Even the family have acknowledged that although Nicola wouldn’t have wanted the information out there, someone was threatening to sell it.

It’s very easy to say that the police should only have released the fact that she was vulnerable, but given the intense interest in this case that was never going to be enough.

Just look at the response yesterday when the police did exactly that. Accusations of child abuse, spousal abuse, the list goes on, releasing the actual facts in fact made things better not worse.

Don't see how released such information brings them closer to finding her. So it was inappropriate.

I thought during the conference yesterday that they would need to elaborate on their mention of 'vulnerabilities' and wondered if they did actually mean to say that.

I find it astonishing this has been branded that her reputation is "completely destroyed". She's 45. She's menopausal. Menopause support is woeful in this country. How is this destroying her reputation or a surprise?

Perhaps she is one of the many women on here daily begging for HRT and being turned away?

The alcohol angle is just a distraction.

The police watchdog is now looking at the decision to release the information.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nicola-bulley-police-speculation-lancashire-b2283682.html

The information about the alcoholism would only have relevance if the Police genuinely thought she had fallen in the river. As it stands there's no evidence to suggest that. If her dh said she uses the morning dog walk to drink vodka then maybe there's an argument it's relevant. It's unlikely though that her husband would want her to drive the children to school like that?

The police released the information because people were getting ready to sell stories about Nicola. So it would have come out anyway, but now at least those ghouls aren’t making any money.

the level to which media speculation has impacted on the Lancs Police’s investigation is appalling. People treating it like it’s some kind of sick game.

The family have asked people not to speculate

I’ve just read an article with comments from family, basically saying the info was released because people were threatening to sell stories about her

Well said.

When information gets drip fed like this people will always speculate. Perhaps if more correct information was given earlier this would have been helpful

So, the alcohol problems etc were related to the police by her husband when he called them in January?
Has anyone had an emotionally/psychologically abusive relationship? I liked a glass of wine most evenings after I'd put the children to bed but my ex would have said I had a problem. I rarely have a drink now, it wasn't the problem, he was.
Maybe she did leave, maybe she felt she had no choice but to disappear as her family also believed she had issues.
Or maybe she was very sadly suffering with an addiction, struggling and needed help and support.
This is the problem when too much info is released, it's natural to speculate!!

There is another thread where you can do your speculating. I don't think this is the place for it.

@Gillybob agreed

I think MN should delete the speculation threads for the sake of the family, and let the police get on with their job.

This really resonates with me too, as a woman who was gaslit by my ex for years!

It has victim blaming and gaslighting at its finest written all over it!

Every time someone opens their mouth in this case it just gets more inappropriate --- now she has caused this whole crisis????

"Due to the peri menopause, Nikki suffered with significant side effects such as brain fog, restless sleep and was taking HRT to help but this was giving her intense headaches which caused Nikki to stop taking the HRT thinking that may have helped her but only ended up causing this crisis."

And what on earth does this mean - know the truth?

“The police know the truth about Nikki and now the public need to focus on finding her.”

FWIW I don't see how menopause or alcohol (and seems really irresponsible to link the two) are in way relevant unless they thought she self harmed or run away. How that ties in with supposedly having been though to fall in the river makes no sense either. She was arranging play dates and making plans for spa weekends in any case according to her friends and family's statements.

This will go down as a case study in poor police practice and even worse police communications. If my menopause or alcohol usage was ever mentioned while investigating my disappearance and a potential crime having been committed against me --- I would be horrified.

The only other explanation is the police are trying to throw their suspect off course with all this terrible communication.

It’s relevant to the investigation but not to the press or the public.

Oh yes definitely. Lots of similarities between the obsessives on these threads and the stupid ‘armies’ - knowing more than the experts, wildly speculating, accusing the workers of incompetence and hinting at other dark and hidden motives, low intelligence. Well done Mumsnet for encouraging this shit.

Agree with this

Haven't the family caused much of the speculation?

Police said early on what they think has happened, but the family wouldn't accept it and have deliberately kept the conversation going.