A charity has spoken of the extra “pain and trauma” heaped on the mother of Jay Slater by online trolls and amateur sleuths during the search for the teenager.
Debbie Duncan said her family’s “hearts are broken” after it was confirmed that the human remains found in Tenerife on Monday belonged to her son following a near month-long search.
The 19 year-old’s body was found close to where his phone last pinged after he vanished near the village of Masca while on a holiday with friends.
The high profile of the case triggered Facebook users to share theories on what happened to him.
The apprentice bricklayer, 19, had travelled to an Airbnb with two men after a festival on 16 June. He apparently missed a bus and embarked on an 11-hour walk back to his apartment.
Matthew Searle chief executive of Charity LBT Global Ltd, who have been assisting the family, said detectives and conspiracy theorists online had made the harrowing search even more traumatic.
He told the Independent: “She’s [Debbie Duncan] found it incredibly difficult dealing with this whole situation, but with the additional stress and trauma put on her by the amount of obscene trolling, armchair detectives, so-called experts and specialists – it’s been really hard on her and the family.”
Mr Searle said he plans to speak to the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on the issue such was the level of abuse aimed at the family and the upset caused.
Meanwhile the family have left a string of messages close to the spot where the 19-year-old's body was discovered.
One was left next to a single rose and read: "Love you little bro. Never in a million years did I think I'd be doing this. I'll look after mum and dad."
Another was tied with a blue ribbon and signed with: "To my boy. Love Dad, always."
It is feared his family could face a wait of at least a week before they can bring his body home to the UK.
Mr Searle told the BBC he understood the Spanish authorities had carried out all the examinations they needed to.
He added he was confident that insurance should cover the cost of bringing Mr Slater's body home, but that there was the option of using crowdfunded donations if not.
LBT Global has been helping Mr Slater's family through the formal processes of the Spanish judicial system, which Mr Searle said could be "overwhelming" for grief-stricken relatives.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard said on Monday: “After 29 constant days of searching the lifeless body of the young man has been found in the Masca area.
“The discovery has been possible thanks to the tireless and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard over these 29 days.”
