Debbie Duncan is intensifying her fight for new legislation to shield grieving families from online abuse. The mother of Jay Slater, who died in Tenerife last year, is pushing for "Jay's Law" alongside Labour MP Sarah Smith – a campaign gaining urgency as a Channel 4 documentary exposes the growing phenomenon of "tragedy trolling."
The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 16 after a night out. His body was found nearly a month later on July 15 in the steep Juan Lopez ravine. An inquest later ruled his death accidental, caused by head injuries after he lost his footing and fell.
But for his family, the ordeal intensified online. 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.» The accusations escalated. «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 suggested: «How do you know it's Jay that was in the coffin? He needs digging up.» Duncan said: «It hurts. They don't know our family or anything about us, but they're allowed to say what they want.»
Push for Legislative Change
The proposed "Jay's Law" would compel social media companies to remove false, malicious, and speculative posts targeting bereaved relatives. Ofcom would gain authority to impose penalties on platforms that fail to act.
Duncan explained her motivation: «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.»
She launched an official Parliamentary petition in September. Now, she and Sarah Smith are organizing a cross-party meeting of MPs and ministers to discuss implementation.
Political Backing
Sarah Smith highlighted the legislative gap: «We can't keep allowing grieving families to become targets for abuse and lies every time a tragedy happens. Debbie's experience shows that the law hasn't caught up with the reality of online behaviour. Platforms are too slow to act.»
The MP added: «But online, people get away with it. This has to change, we must stop tragedy trolling.»
The Channel 4 documentary "The Disappearance of Jay Slater" examines the issue, including similar ordeals faced by the families of Nicola Bulley and Madeleine McCann, who endured comparable online speculation and misinformation.
Duncan said: «I never imagined that after losing my son, I'd have to fight to stop people spreading lies about him online. It's cruel and it's constant, and it makes every day harder.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
