'Heartbreaking' documentary on the search for Nicola Bulley airs - detailing online sleuths that plagued case
3 October 2024, 22:31
A landmark documentary detailing the online sleuths that plagued the search for missing mum Nicola Bulley aired on Thursday.
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The Search for Nicola Bulley explored 45-year-old Nicola Bulley’s disappearance and the subsequent social media frenzy that erupted during the search for the mum of two.
Online sleuths plagued the search, sending waves of abuse towards police and even Nicola’s partner, Paul Ansell.
Ms Bulley's body was found three weeks after she disappeared in the River Wyre in Lancashire, with an inquest finding she had accidentally fallen into the water.
Ms Bulley’s family said they agreed to take part in the documentary in a bid to give her the “legacy she deserves” and end the lies and rumours spread by online trolls.
“Collectively, we thought long and hard about taking part in a documentary about Nikki. It wasn't an easy decision,' her family said before the doc aired.
“Nikki's face and name quickly became very recognisable, but there is so much to share about Nikki the person.
“Our sole aim is to provide the definitive record on Nikki to ensure she has the legacy that she deserves.
“Many people have aired their views about her disappearance and her untimely and tragic death, only we can speak about her as a mummy, partner, daughter and sister.
“In addition, if our experience of being in the eye of a media storm makes people think twice about how they act and what they say online, then we will have achieved some further good.”
Speaking in the BBC documentary, Paul Ansell said: “Social media... Nikki used it more than I did.
“It wasn't a huge part of our lives but when you experience something like this you realise what a huge monster it can be, I guess.
“I was getting direct messages from people that I've never met. They don't know me, they don't know us, they don't know Nikki, they know nothing about us.
“Just messages like "you b******", "we know what you did", "you can't hide Paul", that kind of stuff. You can't do anything about it... You're poking a monster.”
The film’s director, Rachel Lob-Levyt, said it was “nerve-racking” to make the doc.
She said: “The social media sleuths felt entitled to say whatever they wanted.
“In the past we'd have talked about these things in the pub, whereas now people broadcast it online and everything is accelerated. Opinion takes on similar weight to verified information.”Some viewers have questioned the decision to give airtime to the TikTok trolls that plagued Ms Bulley’s family.
On social media user said: “Why are the bbc giving credence to these Tik tokkers and other social media idiots regarding the Nicola Bulley case? They were part of the problem."
