Georgina Gharsallah: 'No innocent reason' for disappearance

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Georgina GharsallahImage source, Family handout
Image caption,

Georgina Gharsallah went missing exactly two years ago

A detective investigating the case of a missing woman has said he "never intended to take hope away from her family" by listing it as a homicide.

Georgina Gharsallah, 30, vanished in Worthing, West Sussex, on 7 March 2018.

To mark the two-year anniversary, her family have set up an "incident room" in an attempt to seek new information. A £10,000 reward is currently on offer.

Ch Insp Andy Wolstenhome said Ms Gharsallah's social media and financial activity stopped when she disappeared.

"It is for this reason I am led to believe there is not an innocent reason for her disappearance," he said.

Ch Insp Wolstenhome said "it was not an easy decision" to record the case as a homicide.

"This was in no way intended to take hope away from Georgina's family and friends.

"However, Georgina was someone who would spend a lot of time on her phone and on social media, but all of this and any financial transactions on her bank accounts stopped the day she went missing."

Image source, Sussex Police
Image caption,

Miss Gharsallah went to a phone shop but did not meet her father as agreed

He said the Sussex force was still committed to the investigation and had searched a number of locations, conducted over 1,000 house-to-house inquiries and investigated more than 70 potential sightings.

Speaking of the attempt to get new information, Ms Gharsallah's mother, Andrea, said: "If we didn't do all this, she would easily become another one of those missing people who do get forgotten.

"I'm not going to let that happen. I'm her mum."

In October, the Crimestoppers charity doubled its reward to £10,000 for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Ms Gharsallah's death.

Appealing for information, Ch Insp Wolstenhome said: "Someone out there must know something."

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