Jay Slater’s mother, Debbie, said that online conspiracy theorists “completely dehumanised” him following his disappearance in Tenerife.
Watch The Disappearance of Jay Slater on Channel 4 for Free Outside the UK
Jay Slater’s mother has urged for new rules to stop the spread of false information about missing people online, as she spoke out to clarify the truth about her son’s final hours.
Debbie Duncan, 57, said so-called “armchair detectives” had created “shocking” theories that “completely dehumanised” her son following the 19-year-old’s disappearance in Tenerife last year. A coroner later confirmed that Jay’s death was the result of a traumatic brain injury from a fall while he was lost in the dangerous mountains of Park Rural de Teno.
However, in an interview with The Times, she said online content creators continue to pick apart Jay’s death, with some even claiming he is alive and in hiding, waiting to reclaim money raised through an emergency GoFundMe set up for his grieving family.
How can you say the F-word on Facebook and have your account removed, but people can say what they like about my son and that’s fine?
she asked.
In another interview with The Mirror, she explained that she wanted to “fight for Jay’s name” following the media storm surrounding his death.
To continue making videos (and posting them online) more than 12 months on, going through every bit of detail over and over again is shocking. When will it stop? Social media is good for spreading awareness, but can also be the work of the devil. If I can save another family from going through the trauma we have had to endure, it will be worth it.
She added
Her remarks come just before the release of a Channel 4 documentary, The Disappearance of Jay Slater, which will air on Sunday, 28 September at 9pm. The documentary promises exclusive insight into the 19-year-old’s final hours, which in June 2024 became the focus of widespread conspiracy theories and media coverage.
Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire, had travelled to Tenerife with his friends, Lucy Law and Bradley Geoghegan, to attend the New Rave Generation (NRG) festival. On the night he went missing, Jay left the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de Las Americas to return to an Airbnb belonging to Ayub Qassim and Steven “Rocky” Roccas, located 23 miles away in the remote Rural de Teno national park.
He later called Lucy Law, saying he was lost in the mountains and had injured his leg on a cactus before his phone died. A large-scale search followed, with rescue teams combing the harsh terrain for weeks, while online conspiracy theorists sent his family on “wild goose chases.”
After 29 days, Jay’s body was discovered in what a coroner described as a “particularly dangerous” part of the park. He had died instantly from a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall. Toxicology tests later revealed traces of cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine in his system.
Despite the coroner’s findings, false claims continued to circulate online, with theories suggesting he was kidnapped by drug dealers or had faked his own death still appearing 15 months later. Debbie told The Mirror: “What we have had to endure has really opened my eyes.
It is not just us who are horrified by what has gone on – professional people are horrified too. I wanted this documentary to be made because I want to show Jay is a real person and not just the face of a story. I want to show everyone we are a normal family. Jay was a popular guy with a lot of friends and it’s been hard to watch it. I cried all the way through, but I hope it will finally shut down the armchair detectives. It’s been very well put together.
Source: TheTimes