Credit: Getty
Opinion
Where’s the line between helpful and harrowing for amateurs ‘investigating’ Nicola Bulley?
3 years ago
2 min read
The devastating case of Nicola Bulley has exposed the wider implications of true crime culture, says writer Charlotte Colombo. “It’s one thing to feel personally touched by a case and go out of your way to help,” she explains, “but identifying yourselves as ‘sleuths’, levying unfounded accusations against Bulley’s partner and combing through her family’s personal social media pages feels like another level.”
Imagine the unthinkable happened: a friend, a loved one – maybe even you – were at the centre of a national manhunt. You disappeared without a trace, with nobody knowing where you might be. As the days go on, and the hope of your safety fades, thousands of people are treating your suffering as a means of living out their Nancy Drew fantasies.
The family of Nicola Bulley, the 45-year-old woman who vanished while walking her dog, doesn’t have to imagine this at all. Two weeks after her tragic disappearance, this has become their reality. As well as being personally inundated with unsolicited tips, theories and ‘psychic’ help, investigative journalist Robyn Vinter reported how people were “bringing their kids” to the River Wyre, where Bulley is suspected of having fallen in, and asking locals to direct them to the bench Bulley was last seen to take photographs.
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