The UK’s Information Commissioner, John Edwards, has asked Lancashire Police to clarify why he published the alcohol and menopausal problems faced by Nicola Brie.
Police were also criticized by former Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird, who said the disclosure was a “horrible mistake.”
Bree, 45, has been missing since January 27 when she took her dog Willow for a walk along the River Wyre in Lancashire after dropping her two daughters off at a nearby primary school. increase.
The mystery of what happened to Bree has been widely reported in British newspapers, and social media has sparked speculation about her disappearance.
On Wednesday, Lancashire Police held a press conference saying Bray had “certain vulnerabilities” and immediately rated her as “high risk” when she was reported missing.
they later statement Clarified what she meant by “vulnerability”.
Part of the statement reads: last few months. This created some real challenges for Paul and his family. “
However, Bree’s decision to reveal details of the struggles she was facing drew widespread criticism. statementCommissioner Edwards said, “Data protection laws exist to ensure that people’s personal information is used appropriately and fairly. This includes ensuring that personal information is not disclosed inappropriately. will be
“Police can disclose information to protect the public and investigate crimes, but they must be able to prove that such disclosure was necessary,” he said.
Mr Edwards said he was aware that the police had to give their full attention to the investigation, but said: Of course.
widely practiced report Home Secretary Suella Braverman has privately held Lancashire Police accountable for the matter, but she has not commented publicly on the matter.
Baird, who resigned as victims’ commissioner last year, argued that the decision to release so much personal information about Bray was “sexist” and said that if the missing person was a man, such details would not be available. I wondered if it would be made public.
she said BBC: “Unfortunately, this is the biggest error I’ve seen in a long time. It will further erode trust in the police.”
“It should have been in the public domain to begin with if it was relevant, but it wasn’t. So that’s a really worrying error. Frankly, it’s horrible,” she added.
‘A true sexist’
Baird said:
However, Bree’s family statement “As a family, we knew beforehand that Lancashire Police had released a statement last night containing personal details about our Nicky. There are people speculating and threatening to sell the story. This is horrible and needs to stop.”
The statement said: I helped her, but it only provoked this crisis. “
Perimenopause, the transition period leading up to menopause, can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, forgetfulness, brain fog, fatigue, skin changes, insomnia and seizures.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs are often prescribed, but these can have their own side effects.
Lancashire police have long said they believed Bully had “fallen into the river” and was not the victim of foul play, but the lack of a body has sparked another theory on social media. Wearing.
Superintendent Rebecca Smith, who is leading the search for Bree, said on Wednesday:
Lancashire Police said on Wednesday that police had been in contact with Nicola Brie on 10 January following “welfare concerns”.
of Independent Police Action Service They are evaluating the information to determine if an investigation into their contact with Barry is warranted.
PA Media contributed to this report.