Jay Slater latest: Mother calls for more GoFundMe donations to give teen ‘send-off he deserves’

Trolls and online sleuths are causing “additional stress and trauma” on Jay Slater’s family, a charity working closely with them has said.

Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, his father, Warren Slater, his brother and his uncle all travelled to the island to help with the search, which was sometimes derailed by the intervention of amateur sleuths.

Matthew Searle, chief executive of Charity LBT Global Ltd, told the Independent: ” She is [Debbie Duncan] “I have found the whole situation incredibly difficult to deal with, but with the added stress and trauma that has been put on her by the amount of obscene trolls, armchair detectives, so-called experts and specialists, it has been really tough on her and her family.”

Nearly £60,000 has been raised on the GoFundMe page for the search for Jay Slater.

Now that his body has been found, the BBC says it understands that part of it could be used to cover repatriation costs.

The family are now working on the necessary paperwork to repatriate the teenager’s body home with the help of the charity LBT Global.

It is hoped that insurance money will cover the cost of returning Jay’s body home – but the proceeds from the fundraiser offer another option.

Debbie Duncan is still on the Spanish island of Tenerife after the remains of his 19-year-old son were found Monday near the village of Masca.

In a press release published Thursday on the “Bring Jay Slater Home” GoFundMe pageShe said: “Hello everyone, thank you for all your kindness, support and condolences in light of the tragic news of the discovery of Jay’s body…”

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After Jay Slater’s body was discovered in the valley near where his phone last rang, questions were raised about where he was going.

The body of the 19-year-old was found in the Barranco de Juan Lopez valley, near the village of Masca.

It was in this village that the teenager left an Airbnb where he had gone with two men after a musical event on June 16.

The Signi Zoekhonden association said it was working in the valley to ensure nothing was left behind that could explain how the young man died.

Search coordinator Esther van Neerbos told Sky News it was likely Jay was heading down the valley as a shortcut to the sea.

“I think it was the shortest way back to get to the beach,” she said.

“Near the beach is his house [holiday accommodation] so probably he wanted to do that.

After the tragedy of Jay Slater’s body being found on Monday, another British mother is going through hell trying to find her son in Majorca.

Ben Ross, 26, had moved to the tourist hotspot of Palma to take a break from his law studies in June 2024.

But after his belongings were stolen during a trip to the beach, his family said a series of events led to his disappearance.

Debbie Duncan wrote about the Get Jay Slater Home fundraiser approaching £60,000 on Thursday afternoon.

She said: “Hello everyone, thank you for all your kindness, support and condolences in light of the tragic news of Jay’s body being found. We are heartbroken and very grateful for your support.

“The wonderful team from the Netherlands, Signi Zoekhondon, have been in Spain all week and have continued to support us since Jay was found. They are due to return home in the coming days and we are very grateful for their dedication and support.

“We would like to thank LBT Global for their support during this impossible time.

“We are working with agencies to arrange Jay’s repatriation to the UK and any remaining funds, along with future donations, will be used to help with this if necessary and to pay for Jay’s funeral expenses at home. We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves so please continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can.”

When a British teenager Jay Slater is missing In the north of Tenerife, just under a month ago, the case captured the nation’s attention.

Helicopters, sniffer dogs and in the final days of the search private experts were brought in, hoping to find the Lancashire teenager.

Jay Slater’s family have found “very little comfort” in the belief that he died instantly after falling from a great height, a charity official who spoke to his mother has said.

Matthew Searle, Managing Director of LBT Global, said: The Independent He had spoken at length with Debbie Duncan, 55, after Spanish authorities concluded her son’s injuries were consistent with an accidental fall.

Mr Searle, whose charity has supported Mr Slater’s family through their ordeal, said they had closely examined the area where rescue teams were searching when they found the 19-year-old’s body.

“If he did fall from a height where we saw the rescue teams, it is very unlikely that he would have known much about it,” the charity’s CEO said.

“It takes away the horrible nightmare he might have had when he fell and waited for help that never came. It’s a small comfort, but it’s a comfort.”