Public trust in the police has fallen significantly in recent years as a result of a string of serious institutional failings that have rocked confidence in police forces across the UK. This has formed the backdrop for the intense public interest in the disappearance of Nicola Bulley just over three weeks ago and the subsequent police investigation into what happened.
The disappearance of a loved one is a worst nightmare with which most people will immediately connect and it is unusual for there to be so little emerging information about such a case. This has undoubtedly fuelled media interest and the sharing of conspiracy theories and amateur sleuthing on social media platforms such as TikTok.
Important questions have been raised about police conduct in this case. The circumstances in which they are operating have been made more difficult by the unusual levels of public interest: the police are reliant on members of the public coming forward with information, but they also say they have been “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours”. This has made the question of what information to share and when a complex one. But many have expressed concern about the police releasing highly personal details surrounding Bulley’s health, namely her experience of menopausal symptoms and “significant issues” with alcohol. We do not know why they believe this was justified; although there was significant pressure on them to release more information about why they were pursuing the investigation in the way they did and to end speculation about their statement that Bulley had “specific vulnerabilities”. Her family have also said that people have tried to make money by selling personal information about her, an appalling way to behave.
However, revealing such personal information is a serious invasion of Bulley’s privacy, and comes at a time when trust in the police is justifiably low in relation to women as victims of crime as a result of grievous police failings, such as in the murders of Sarah Everard and sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry. So it is right that the information commissioner has asked Lancashire police to set out how they reached the decision to disclose this information. Lancashire police should also ask an outside force to conduct a case review: it is vital that they subject themselves to greater scrutiny to restore public confidence.
Public scrutiny is a vital part of policing by consent but there is no doubt that the police role in this case has been made much more difficult by the circus fuelled by social media algorithms, with amateur detectives turning up to the crime scene and confronting residents while broadcasting to digital platforms. Experts who offered assistance to the police and clearly won the trust of the family have shared private conversations with the press and unhelpfully generated further speculation.
This toxic climate only makes it more important that lessons are learned from this case: the police are likely to face increasing difficulties in the future. But for now, nothing is more important than finding out what happened to Nicola Bulley.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk
