Overview

• Debbie Duncan told BBC Breakfast she was accused online of murdering her son and said relentless false claims left her feeling she had a breakdown.
• She said misinformation and fake leads complicated the family’s efforts during the search and continued even after the inquest established the facts.
• Channel 4’s The Disappearance of Jay Slater, directed by Annaliese Edwards, examines the trolling and the spread of conspiracy theories and is due to air on Sunday.
• Debbie’s local MP, Sarah Smith, has launched a campaign backing ‘Jay’s Law,’ with an e-petition submitted to Parliament that will open for public signatures soon.
• Kerry Needham, whose son Ben went missing in 1991, publicly backed the push for tighter rules on malicious online content targeting bereaved families.