Debbie Duncan, the mother of 19-year-old Jay Slater, has opened up about the relentless online trolling she faced following her son's tragic death in Tenerife. Speaking on ITV's This Morning, she described how the abuse turned her life into a 'living hell'.
Jay Slater vanished on 18 June 2024 after a night out, prompting a major search. His body was found nearly a month later in a ravine. An inquest ruled his death accidental, but conspiracy theories flourished online.
Debbie told hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley: 'It just got really personal. They don't know us, they don't know our family, and they don't know Jay.' She revealed that the media descended within hours, and internet trolls began posting their own interpretations of his disappearance.
Cat Deeley remarked on the relentless nature of the abuse, saying: 'It's never ever stopped, has it? It's relentless and it's personally attacking you, too!'
In response, Debbie has launched a petition for 'Jay's Law', which would require social media platforms to promptly remove coordinated misinformation targeting bereaved families. The petition is backed by her local MP and aims to end trolling after tragedies.
