Jay Slater's mum launches petition to stop 'tragedy trolls'
MP Sarah Smith has backed the calls for 'Jay's Law'
Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Sarah Smith has thrown her support behind Debbie Duncan, mother of the late Jay Slater, in her campaign for a new law to tackle online abuse aimed at grieving families.
Debbie has launched an official parliamentary petition for “Jay’s Law”, which would require social media platforms to remove false, malicious and speculative content targeting bereaved families.
The proposal also calls for Ofcom to be given powers to enforce sanctions against platforms that fail to act.
“Families Should Be Allowed to Grieve in Peace”
Jay's mum Debbie 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. 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. I’m grateful for Sarah’s support and for everyone who stands with us in calling for stronger laws. If this campaign can protect even one more family from going through what we have, it will have been worth it.”
“We Must Stop Tragedy Trolling” – MP Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith MP said: "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.
"If someone shouted these things on Debbie’s doorstep, they’d be arrested. If papers posted such baseless stories every single day about victims, they’d be in breach of the rules. But online, people get away with it. This has to change, we must stop tragedy trolling.
“Jay’s Law is about putting compassion and accountability at the heart of the online world. Families who have lost a loved one should be protected, not pursued. I’m backing Debbie’s campaign because it is time for Parliament, the tech companies and regulators to draw a line in the sand and say this ends here.”
Sarah Smith has supported Debbie and Jay’s family since his disappearance in Tenerife, pressing tech companies to remove harmful content and raising the issue in Parliament. She has consistently called for stronger regulation of social media platforms to prevent coordinated online abuse.
The campaign follows a Channel 4 documentary exposing the growing problem of “tragedy trolling”, echoing the experiences of families such as Nicola Bulley’s and the McCanns, who have faced similar online speculation and falsehoods.
Sarah and Debbie are now working to convene a cross-party meeting of MPs and Ministers to discuss how Jay’s Law can be brought forward. The meeting will explore ways to strengthen protections for grieving families, hold platforms accountable, and empower Ofcom to enforce compliance.
Both are urging the public to sign and share the petition to help make online spaces safer for families dealing with loss.