How Jay Slater’s GoFundMe money was actually spent after cruel accusations of fund misuse
Teenager Jay Slater went missing on the Spanish island of Tenerife in June, sparking a month-long search which ultimately resulted in his remains being found in a ravine
The devastated mother of Jay Slater has revealed GoFundMe donations were spent on three key parts during the search for the teen in Tenerife.
Distraught Debbie Duncan, 56, said she had been sent thousands of abusive messages and videos, which included claims the funds had been misused. The torrent of vile messages began almost as soon as she set foot on the Spanish island after Jay, 19, went missing on June 17.
Jay seemingly vanished following a night out with friends at a festival and a massive manhunt was sparked shortly afterward. His remains were found in a ravine in Tenerife’s Rural de Teno park following a month-long search.
His remains were flown back to the UK, and a funeral was held for the teen at Accrington Crematorium on August 10. But ghouls added to Debbie’s grief by sending abusive messages, some of which accusing her of misusing funds set up by Jay’s friend Lucy Mae Law.
"We have had all these people slagging me off about a GoFundMe that I didn’t ask for," she told The Sun. "I said, so I don’t want to use it and didn’t want to touch it.
"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. I have been speaking to GoFundMe virtually every day and they have been amazing and so supportive. They know the money has not been misused - and have been telling me I don’t have to explain what every last penny has been used for."
But trolls did not stop there. Debbie was regularly hounded by mock-up pictures of Jay being tortured and of his "body" being buried on a beach. She told the outlet false theories spread online that the teen had somehow been involved with a drug cartel and was taken in a yacht to Morocco.
"Oh my God, the stories, they were just unreal. Absolutely unreal," Debbie said. "People were saying, ’He’s in a hole, he’s chained up."
Jay’s funeral was held earlier this month ( Image: PA)
The heartbroken mum said she and her family were "sucked into" some of the conspiracy theories in the desperate hope that Jay was somehow still alive. But Debbie, who found Jay’s passport and travel cash in his apartment on the island, knew he would not be elsewhere in Tenerife or have suddenly gone abroad without first telling her.
One particularly venomous case of trolling involved a photo-shopped picture of the teen with a chain around his neck and a cut under his eye. But when Spanish police investigated the pic they found it was taken in Russia about a decade ago.
"People are still making money out of videos about Jay on TikTok - and it is just wrong," Debbie added. "There needs to be tougher laws and social media companies should be doing more."
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