Debbie Duncan describes the internet harassment she has experienced ever since Slater mysteriously vanished while she was on vacation in Tenerife.
Since the disappearance of her son, Jay Slater, a British teenager who passed away while on vacation in Tenerife, the mother of Jay Slater has stated that she has been “terrorised” by malicious users on the internet.
After going to a music festival on the tourist island with his friends in June, Slater, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, which is located close to Accrington in Lancashire, vanished without a trace. The body of the 19-year-old was discovered approximately one month later in a gully close to the location where he had been seen for the last time. An autopsy revealed that he had died as a result of an unintentional fall.
Even after her son’s passing, his mother, Debbie Duncan, who is 56 years old, stated that she had been subjected to internet harassment. She expressed her discomfort to the Sun by saying, “I don’t even have the words to describe how sick these individuals are.” “I have been subjected to the terror of trolls.”
Following the disappearance of Slater, a quick proliferation of incorrect information and conspiracy theories occurred on the internet. It was necessary for Duncan to refute the reports that her son had stolen a Rolex watch worth twelve thousand pounds and had incurred the anger of a criminal cartel.
She also received mocked-up photographs, including a fabricated picture of her son being tortured, which were supplied to her by some individuals who had contacted her personally. She described the first week as “a complete and utter blur.” In the middle of my search for Jay, I was in a hotel room in Tenerife when trolls started to bother me.
Duncan and her son Zac have compiled the information of those who did not hide their phone numbers. Although the majority of the messages originated from the United Kingdom, some of them came from as far away as Australia and the United States.
There were calls with individuals claiming, “We know where Jay is; he’s done this, he’s done that,” she claimed. “There were calls with people saying that.” At least some of them were from individuals who were yelling Jay’s name or claiming that he had been stabbed on a beach. The stories, on the other hand, were completely unbelievable. Oh, my God. Unbelievable in every way. The people were saying things like, “He’s chained up, and he’s in a hole.”
“It was extremely revolting; there is no other word to describe it. The agony that I have been forced to endure, and it is something that I am still experiencing, is something that I would never want for anybody else.
At the same time that they were clinging to any hope that Slater was still alive, she stated that the family had “sucked into” some of the conspiracy ideas.
According to her, the assault continued even after the funeral took place for him. “What will you do with all that money?” was the question that was put in a handwritten note that she received in the mail not too long ago. Duncan stated that the creation of a GoFundMe website that garnered more than seventy-two thousand pounds during the time that her kid was missing had contributed to the spread of trolling.
“We have had all these people slagging me off about a GoFundMe that I didn’t ask for,” she added, adding: “The only things it’s been used for are some accommodation costs, the dog team that came over, and some repatriation costs, which are still ongoing.
For the past few days, I have been communicating with the GoFundMe team, and they have been nothing short of incredible and extremely supportive.