Georgina Gharsallah’s family urge new Sussex Police chief to review ‘failings’ in case

The family of Georgina Gharsallah have sent an open letter to the new chief constable of Sussex Police, urging her to scrutinise the investigation of the missing mother’s disappearance.
Jo Shiner, chief constable of Sussex PoliceJo Shiner, chief constable of Sussex Police
Jo Shiner, chief constable of Sussex Police

Georgina was 30 when she was last seen at Clifton Food and Wine off licence store in Clifton Road, Worthing, at 9.30am on March 7, 2018.

Her mother Andrea has been critical of Sussex Police’s handling of the case, which they are treating as a homicide. An internal team is reviewing the investigation to identify any possible leads.

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Having received an ‘unsatisfactory response’ from her predecessor Giles York, the family has sent an open letter to Jo Shiner, demanding a review by an independent body that ‘can be meticulous and transparent in their findings’.

Georgina Gharsallah's last sightingGeorgina Gharsallah's last sighting
Georgina Gharsallah's last sighting

It went on to say ‘our trust and confidence in Sussex Police’s investigation has been eroded’ as ‘the investigation team have and clearly continue to dismiss, us as a family, any vital evidence, witnesses’ and recently ‘any offers from other professionals who were happy to enhance some of the CCTV’.

Footage was released showing a potential sighting of Georgina in South Street Square on the day she disappeared.

Here is the letter in full, followed by Sussex Police’s response:

Open Letter

Petra Edwards and Andrea Gharsallah were in South Street Square, Worthing, to raise awareness of the disappearance of her daughter Georgina GharsallahPetra Edwards and Andrea Gharsallah were in South Street Square, Worthing, to raise awareness of the disappearance of her daughter Georgina Gharsallah
Petra Edwards and Andrea Gharsallah were in South Street Square, Worthing, to raise awareness of the disappearance of her daughter Georgina Gharsallah

To

the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, Jo Shiner

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by the family of Georgina Gharsallah, missing from Worthing, West Sussex since 7th March 2018.

We posted an open letter to your predecessor Chief Constable Giles York on our Facebook Page on

22 nd December 2019.

We received an unsatisfactory reply from Giles York on 24 th January 2020, repeating, in a nutshell, all

the apparent actions carried out by Sussex Police in Georgina’s missing case. These did not fully

answer any of our questions posed in our open letter.

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Furthermore, Giles York passed all our questions on to the very investigation team who are leading

on Georgina’s case, expecting them to answer each point. This was unacceptable to us, as it basically

suggested the very team leading this investigation and, which is the subject of our dissatisfaction,

should be left to answer the questions we had posed to the Chief Constable.

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Furthermore, the response mentioned yet again, that the Major Crime Review Team are reviewing

Georgina’s case. Apparently, this review was set up ‘primarily to identify any further opportunities

that have not yet been fully explored that may help to find Georgina.’

A review should be carried out on the investigation team on this case by an independent body, who

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thoroughly investigates the actions, failures, and reasoning behind all the decision making over the

last 2 years in this investigation. It is no good having an internal review team, which allows Sussex

Police to pat each other on the back for a job ‘well done’, rather than a external body who can be

meticulous in their review and transparent in their findings. An external body who are not afraid of

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criticising the investigative team on their clear failings throughout this case. Some of the failings

being dismissing vital evidence in the early days of the investigation, which has had a devastating

impact on the ongoing investigation.

Unfortunately, our trust and confidence in the investigation carried out so far by Sussex Police has

been minimal since they first started their investigation when Georgina was reported by us as

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missing in March 2018. Our trust and confidence in Sussex Police’s investigation in Georgina’s case

has been further eroded over the last 2 years, as the investigation team have and clearly continue to

dismiss, us as a family, any vital evidence, witnesses and in more recent times, also any offers of

support from other professionals who were happy to enhance some of the CCTV.

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We, the family of missing Georgina Gharsallah herewith publicly ask newly instated Chief Constable

of Sussex Police, Jo Shiner, to personally ensure scrutiny of the investigation in to Georgina’s case so

far over the last 2 + years and the following questions, again, and put them directly to,:

1. Where is the evidence that Georgina is the subject of a homicide, as recorded by Sussex

Police since August 2019?

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2. Why has Sussex Police ignored all early pleas by the family in the investigation of Georgina’s

disappearance to review CCTV in the town centre of Worthing, as the family made it quite clear

Georgina was heading to the town centre the day she went missing?

a. What was the reasoning as to their decisions to limit the area of interest to around Clifton

Road, Worthing?

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b. Why did they seek to believe that a solid sighting by a witness of Georgina with 2 angry men

on the evening of the day she went missing was mistaken identity? Even though the witness has

been identified by the family as someone who physically knew Georgina and was 100% sure it was

her. Not only that, but the family has since been made aware that the person who Sussex Police said

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was mistaken for Georgina, actually bares no resemblance to Georgina.

c. Why has a particular witness been allowed to publicly announce on several occasions via

social media that they saw Georgina being dragged along Broadwater Bridge, Worthing later on the

night on the evening she went missing; whilst when questioned on 2 occasions by Sussex Police was

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dismissed as a witness? This witness claimed on social media in September 2019 ‘she was a key

witness’!

3. How has Sussex Police been allowed to dismiss every potential suspect, all reported

sightings and witnesses regarding Georgina’s disappearance, when there appears to be evidence

which suggests that some of these are credible leads?

4. Why have we, as a family, have had to carry out our own reconstruction of Georgina’s last

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known movements, after an outright refusal by Sussex Police on several occasions when asked by

the family?

5. Why have Sussex Police never agreed to arrange a TV appeal with the family of Georgina?

6. Why have Sussex Police never agreed to carrying out searches regarding Georgina’s

disappearance?

7. How does Sussex Police have the audacity to say they are not able to just go and question

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people of interest regarding this case? How is it that Sussex Police are able to question any person

randomly on the street, but are not questioning potential suspects or witnesses in a missing case,

which they have now raised to a potential homicide?

The family demand concrete answers in a public format from Jo Shiner, as these answers sought are

not just in the interest of our family but, are believed to be in the wider public interest.

Sussex Police’s statement:

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“Sussex Police is aware of a second open letter from the family of Georgina Gharsallah which raises the same questions as the initial open letter sent to the force.

“A comprehensive response to these questions was provided to the family by the former Chief Constable Giles York in January of this year. This response encompassed the significant investigative effort and lines of enquiry conducted over the last 28 months; including the number of house-to-house enquiries, the number of individuals spoken to, the areas searched and the potential sightings investigated, as well as details of the ongoing review by a crime review team.

“The Senior Investigating Officer, and other members of the dedicated team searching for Georgina, have had, and continue to have, regular contact with Georgina’s mother to update her on the investigation. We continue to remain committed to the investigation and to understand the full circumstances of the disappearance of Georgina on March 7, 2018. Georgina has not been seen or heard from for over two years and we understand the distress this is causing the family and continue to seek the answers both we and they are searching for.

“We continue to appeal for people to come forward to us with any information that may assist in ascertaining what happened to Georgina and any viable lines of enquiry will be investigated. Anyone with any information should either report this online or call 101 quoting Operation Pavo.

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“Crimestoppers charity is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information the charity exclusively receives. You can contact them via their website (https://crimestoppers-uk.org/) or call 0800 555 111.”