The more I think about it, what I don’t understand is why the police didn’t say from the start that Nicola had private health issues that made them think an accidental fall into the river might be more likely than a typical 45 year old woman — if that’s what they were thinking because of drinking and menopause problems.
They may have also thought suicide more likely than for the average mother-of-two too, but they didn’t need to get into that level of detail. They just needed to say, we understand the public’s concern but there’s a reason we think she might have had an accident by the river.
I do feel LE have done what they can with this investigation and were in such a tricky situation with the public handling of this case.
Different (supposed) friends briefing contradictory statements, other high profile 3rd parties involved.
Unprecedented - it feels like to me, anyway - interest from the wider media and social media, including all varieties and abilities of amateur journalists, sleuths, river experts.
Seems like this case has been fueled by wider societal mistrust in authority, expertise, or 'MSM'.
And more specifically the Sarah Everard tragedy which has never really left our consciousness (nor the news) a reminder that quite rightly LE cannot always be trusted without question.
I don't think that LE have driven this narrative, feels like an unstoppable consequence of social media (& some more z-list MSM personalities and gutter press) not respecting Nicola's nor the family's personal boundaries themselves.
ETA: PS - no question in my mind of the children ever being at risk of removal in the situation as we know it. But it may not feel like that to a parent when a social worker completes a pretty routine follow up from a PPN.
PPS - a made a comment previously, which was rightly snipped, about hoping that certain people would have some more respect now. To be clear, I didn't mean anyone here! I was referring to those driving sm clicks from this story, baiting headlines, and the likes of Jeremy Kyle TV 'specials' - a man who has made his entire career from other people's misery - yuk.
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