FRIENDS of a missing Russian student have suggested abandoning the search – because she does not want to be found.
The founder of the Facebook page set up to help find missing Yulia Solodyankina posted yesterday: "I have to ask what is a very difficult question: If Yulia doesn't want to be found, should we continue to search for her?"
But Stuart Barrett's suggestion has split the group with many of Yulia's friends insisting it would be wrong to give up the hunt.
Yulia, a 22-year-old Edinburgh University student, was last seen on CCTV footage at Glasgow's Buchanan Street Bus Station on Friday, June 7.
The physics student had been "stressed" in her final exams and learned the day before that she had missed out on an honours degree.
Police think she may have headed to the highlands and islands of Scotland and have investigated an unconfirmed sighting in the tiny community of Fionnphort, Mull.
Mr Barrett, a friend of Yulia's, set up the Facebook page after her disappearance and it now has 5232 members. But his suggestion it was time to stop looking received a mostly negative response.
Lizzie Farnham wrote: "I think keep looking. And then if we establish that she wants to be alone, she can be left alone."
Maryellen Cheal wrote: "Another...reason not to give up is what made her run off like that? It must have been something really awful for her to want to be alone. She probably needs help and there's a chance she may hurt herself and get hurt."
Jamie Prentice added: "It is very easy to tell people you don't want to be found. It can sometimes be impossible to tell people you do want to be found."
And Joanna McCall urged friends to consider Yulia's family. "Are they supposed to sit back and accept such a possible fate of their only child?" she asked.
Others backed Mr Barrett. Mowley Chris said: "I feel obliged to point out here that our worry is not Yulia's concern. I really hope she is ok, if she needs space the best thing to do is to give her that space in my opinion."
And Lisa Bryson added: "If she has decided she wanted to retreat from life and live quietly somewhere - then yes you would have to respect that."
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