Debbie Duncan, the mother of missing teenager Jay Slater, has spoken out through the missing persons charity LBT Global, expressing her deep anguish and pleading for privacy as investigations continue. Despite the conclusion of the search for Jay over the weekend without significant results, efforts are still ongoing.
“My son, Jay Dean Slater, came to the holiday island of Tenerife on the 13th of June with his friend to attend a music festival. On the 17th of June, after not returning to his apartment, he was reported as a missing person. Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends,” she said.
Debbie described the family’s devastation and the pain they are experiencing: “He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him. We do not have any information on his whereabouts. The Guardia Civil have worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced. They conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.”
While the land search has ended, the Spanish police continue their investigations into why Jay had traveled to a location far from his accommodation. Debbie thanked the Spanish authorities for their efforts and urged the media to respect the family’s privacy and allow the police to proceed without hindrance.
“We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and can only describe this as vile. The negative comments are extremely distressing to our family,” she added. “We also embrace the love and support we have received from across the globe. It has not gone unnoticed, especially his hometown in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. As a family, we would like the world to respect our privacy at this present time.”
The family remains hopeful and continues to seek answers as the investigation progresses.