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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Namita Singh and Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley – live: Police accused of ‘victim blaming’ for revealing mother’s personal struggles

PA Media

Nicola Bulley was listed ‘high risk’ due to number of ‘specific vulnerabilities’

Police are facing backlash and accusations of victim blaming after revealing Nicola Bulley’s personal struggles.

On Wednesday evening, Lancashire Police announced the missing mother had faced “significant issues with alcohol” brought on by “ongoing struggles with the menopause”.

It was significantly more detail than detectives had released at a press conference just hours earlier, when they simply referred to “vulnerabilities” that made her a “high risk” missing person.

But the decision to disclose such private information has been criticised, with MPs including Stella Creasy and Alicia Kearns among those questioning the move.

The revelations, in a new online statement, follow a defensive press conference by Lancashire Police on Wednesday that criticised online speculation about the case that detectives claim has hampered search efforts.

Ms Bulley disappeared on 27 January while walking her dog Willow along the River Wyre in Saint Michael’s on Wyre and has not been seen since.

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