Police have admitted that the information they released following the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl was 'inappropriate'.

The girl went missing from Auckland's Bucklands Beach on August 11, and turned up safe 8 days later.

Independent victim advocate Ruth Money criticised the police releasing her name and picture, saying the public release of this information will affect her re-integration into society. 

"She's not done anything wrong, the alleged person who'd allegedly taken her or encouraged her, manipulated her, coerced her to leave or remove herself from her family environment may well have committed a crime."

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