A Government Minister today suggested police revealing private information about missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley was “sexist”.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt lashed out at the Lancashire force for disclosing that Nicola, 45, had alcohol issues and was struggling with the perimenopause.
"It's quite shocking and I think that both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are right to raise concerns about this,” former Tory leadership hopeful Ms Mordaunt told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
“The first thing I felt was for her family. It's bad enough having had your loved one go missing, but to have had all the additional drama that's accompanied this very tragic case is horrific - and I think it really does grate with a lot of women and we have to put up with all kinds of sexist behaviour in all kinds of settings, and I think to have it play out in this kind of environment is why people are so upset."
Asked whether police displayed sexism in their dealing with the case, Ms Mordaunt said: "I think that they clearly were motivated to try and explain why this case is a complex one.
“But I think there are serious questions to be asked about why they wanted to reveal particular information."
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper claimed there was a problem with the way police dealt with misogyny.
"I am very worried about the nature of the social media speculation and frenzy that there has been around this case,” she told the programme.
“My concern as well is that we focus on that (the information from Lancashire Police) at the expense of focusing on the search for Nicola, which has to be the priority.”
She added: "There is a wider issue about the way in which the police have dealt with, particularly, violence against women and girls, and of course with standards around misogyny and around approaches towards violence and abuse within police forces themselves.”
In a press conference last week, Lancashire Police revealed Nicola was classed as a "high-risk" missing person immediately after her partner reported her disappearance "based on a number of specific vulnerabilities".
They later added she had been struggling with alcohol issues and the menopause, and had stopped taking HRT medication.
Information Commissioner John Edwards has said he will be asking the force about its decision to make the information public, adding: "Data protection law exists to ensure people's personal information is used properly and fairly.
“This includes ensuring personal details are not disclosed inappropriately."
Former Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird said the force made a "dreadful error" in releasing the details.
Nicola's father Ernie Bulley has said "every day is a struggle" since his daughter vanished while walking her springer spaniel Willow in the village of St Michael's on Wyre on January 27.
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