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Debbie Duncan was the subject of conspiracy theories after her son went missing in Tenerife
Pat HurstFriday 21 November 2025 09:55 GMTComments
CloseDid conspiracy theories put the search for Jay Slater in jeopardy?
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Jay Slater’s mother has stepped up her campaign for new legislation to tackle online trolls.
Debbie Duncan has got the backing of her local Labour MP Sarah Smith in pushing for “Jay’s Law” to stop grieving families from being abused.
Ms Duncan’s 19-year-old son Jay Slater died after going missing in Tenerife in June 2024.
The Lancashire man had taken drugs and alcohol on a night out and attempted to make a 14-hour walk back to his villa the next morning.
His body was found almost a month later in a steep ravine.
Mr Slater’s disappearance sparked a massive manhunt and a host of conspiracy theories about his death.
open image in galleryJay Slater died on holiday in Tenerife (Family Handout/LBT Global)An inquest later in 2024 concluded that his death, from head injuries, was accidental. It concluded that he had lost his footing and fell into the ravine.
Ms Duncan told The Mirror: “I’ve been accused of all sorts – they say we knew why he was going to Tenerife and that he was going to get involved in selling drugs.
“That we covered up his murder, that it was all a set up and the GoFundMe was fake and he was going to reappear.
“One content creator even said: ‘How do you know it’s Jay that was in the coffin? He needs digging up.’
“It hurts. They don’t know our family or anything about us, but they’re allowed to say what they want.”
She is calling for a new law to better regulate social media.
open image in galleryDebbie Duncan is campaigning for ‘Jay’s Law’ to stop grieving families from being trolled (ITV News)Ms Duncan added: “The people who do this hide behind screens, but what they say has real consequences for real families. I’m campaigning for Jay’s Law because something has to change. Families should be allowed to grieve in peace without being dragged through more pain.
In September, Ms Duncan launched an official Parliamentary petition calling for a new “Jay’s Law” backed by Sarah Smith, her local MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden.
The two women are now working together to convene a cross-party meeting of MPs and ministers to discuss how Jay’s Law can be brought forward.
Labour MP Ms Smith said: “We can’t keep allowing grieving families to become targets for abuse and lies every time a tragedy happens.”
The campaign comes as a Channel 4 documentary examines the problem of “tragedy trolling”.
Called The Disappearance of Jay Slater, it shows how the families of Nicola Bulley and Madeleine McCann have also been targeted by online speculation and trolls.
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