“Words Cannot Describe the Pain and Agony”: Mother of Missing Teen Jay Slater Speaks Out

Debbie Duncan described the family’s “pain and anguish” as she gave her thoughts on the police’s efforts to find her son. The mother of missing Jay Slater says “words cannot describe the pain and agony” she and her family are feeling about the teenager’s disappearance.

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, was last seen on 17 June after setting off to walk back to his accommodation while on holiday in Tenerife. Despite an extensive search of the area by police and rescue teams over the last two weeks, he has not been found.

In a statement issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, the teenager’s mother Debbie Duncan said the family was “absolutely devastated” by his disappearance.

“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. “We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance. Words cannot describe the pain and agony we 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.“

Helicopters, drones, and search dogs were deployed to find the apprentice bricklayer, who arrived on the island on 13 June for the NRG music festival with two friends. His last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation in the south. He had traveled to an Airbnb in the village of Masca, and the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled “not relevant” to the case.

Ms. Duncan praised the Spanish police, who she said had “worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced.” She added, “They [police] conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available. Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had traveled to the location so far away from his accommodation. We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities, who continue to follow lines of inquiry.”

On Friday, the Guardia Civil appealed for experts in rugged terrain to assist in a “massive search” on Saturday. The search in and around Masca took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails, and paths. On Saturday, the Civil Guard confirmed that search efforts in the area had been called off after nearly two weeks, though detectives continue to pursue several lines of inquiry.

As the family continues to hope for a breakthrough in investigations, Ms. Duncan asked the media to respect their privacy and said they are aware of conspiracy theories surrounding the case. She described the speculation as “vile,” adding that the “negative comments are extremely distressing” to the family.

“We also embrace the love and support we have received from across the globe,” she added. “It has not gone unnoticed, especially in his hometown of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. As a family, we would like the world to respect our privacy at this present time.”