LONDON — Three weeks ago, Nicola Bulley took her two daughters to school and walked the dog. Then she disappeared. Her case has prompted a fierce police investigation and has dominated headlines across Britain.
But it was a statement released last week by the local police force, revealing that she had a “problem with alcohol” due to her “constant struggles” with the menopause that had sparked a national debate about exposing her private struggles.
The unusual police revelations in Lancashire, northwest England, have drawn condemnation from lawmakers, raising questions about the legality of disclosing such details to the public and spilling fueling anger in Britain over the police’s treatment of women.
Zoe Billingham, a former inspector with the Inspector of Fire and Fire Services, an independent police monitoring group in the UK, said the police statement “really prevented me from following”.
“There is no need to put the level of detail into the public domain like the force did,” she said. “If it’s relevant now, it was twenty days ago.”
She added, the statement made her wonder, “Would they have released that information if it wasn’t for women, and what are the future implications for families with missing loved ones?”
The tensions come at a particularly difficult time for Britain’s police force, which has come under intense scrutiny following a series of scandals and crimes that have undermined trust, including violence. for women.
Several police experts said they were shocked by Lancashire police’s comments and have questioned the investigative value of sharing such heartbreaking details about Ms Bulley three weeks after she went missing. . Some speculated that the police would not give the same treatment to a missing man.
Vera Baird, former commissioner of victims of England and Wales, an independent adviser to the government, speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Friday morning, called the decision to disclose the information “sexist.” “.
Your question about menopause, answered
“I’m afraid this is the biggest bug I’ve seen in quite a while,” she added, one that would “further undermine trust in the police.”
Ms. Bulley, 45, has been missing since the morning of January 27 when she disappeared while walking her dog in a field in St. Michael’s on Wyre, a rural village in Lancashire, about 200 miles northwest of London.
Police said that while she was walking, Ms. Bulley, a mortgage adviser, logged on to a conference call for her work but remained muted and turned off the video. About 30 minutes later, her dog was found running by a nearby river and her phone was found on a bench, still connected to the call.
In the weeks since her disappearance, little progress has been made in uncovering what happened, despite numerous underwater searches in the River Wyre and intense public focus on the case. .
On Wednesday, the Lancashire Constabulary, the police force responsible for investigating Ms Bulley’s case, announced highly personal information in a statement, said she had “previously suffered from some serious problems with alcohol” which police said was because she was struggling with menopause. The force said the problems had resurfaced in recent months, leading to police and medical professionals being called to her home 17 days before she disappeared.
The police force itself has acknowledged the “irregular step” of going into details about someone’s private life but added “we feel it’s important to be clear about what we mean when it comes to police officers.” loophole to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation.” It said her family had been informed that police were making the information public.
In a statement released Thursday, Ms. Bulley’s family said of the police statement, “we knew Nikki would not want this,” but offered some details.
Having gone through perimenopause, a years-long transition to menopause, Ms Bulley has “suffered severe side effects such as brain fog, restless sleep” and has been on hormones. . alternative therapy, or HRT, to relieve those symptoms, the statement said, “but this gave her a severe headache.”
“The headaches caused Nikki to stop taking HRT thinking it might help her but ended up causing this crisis,” the family continued. “The public must focus on finding her and not making up wild theories about her personal life.”
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have questioned the police’s choice in releasing information.
Suella Braverman, UK Home Secretary, whose office is responsible for overseeing police matters across the country, is “receiving regular updates from Lancashire Police regarding their handling of this case. ,” her office said in a statement, “including why personal information about Nicola was disclosed at this stage of the investigation.”
The country’s information commissioner, John Edwards, whose office specializes in protecting the right to information, questioned whether the disclosure of Ms Bulley’s personal information was indeed illegal under protection laws. data or not. He said his office is asking police “how they reached this decision to release this information.”
“Police may disclose information to protect the public and investigate crimes, but they need to be able to demonstrate that disclosure is necessary,” he said in a statement.
The concerns over Ms. Bulley’s case come amid a growing crisis of trust in the police, as a series of high-profile criminal cases against officers have drawn sharp attention to the culture. police.
Last month, a former London police officer was sentenced to life imprisonment for sexual assaults committed over nearly two decades. In 2021, another former London officer was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapped, raped and killed a woman. Both were able to continue to work as officers despite previous complaints against them.
The London police force in particular has come under close scrutiny, and a report on it, published last year, details a pattern of misogyny and bullying. But police experts have said the problems extend to forces across the country.
A detailed report was released late last year by the Inspector of Police and Fire and Rescue Servicesindependent police watchdog, has found that “a culture of misogyny, sexism and predatory behavior towards members of the public as well as female police officers and staff remains exist” in forces across the country.
The handling of Miss Bulley’s disappearance has the potential to cause “lasting damage to the precious relationship of trust between. Ms. Billingham, former watchdog inspector said.
She said she feared that the disclosure could deter the families of other victims from coming forward.
“We also have to think about future victims and I think the police leaders who really have a responsibility,” she said, “have to come forward and give some reassurance.”
“There are people who would now think twice about calling the police when their loved one goes missing, and that’s a terrible indictment for the police.”
