The family of three sisters found dead off Brighton beach have asked for compassion following a wave of online conspiracy theories.
Relatives of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, have said that the speculation was sparked by a circulated image of the sisters that was created by AI.
The family of the women, who were found dead near Brighton Marina earlier this month, have said that the conspiracy theories were “doing the family more harm than good.”
While family members said they had not known the sisters were travelling to Brighton that morning, they have theorised they may have been marking the memory of their mother, who died by drowning in Birmingham in 2010.
Ajike Adetoro, the sisters’ aunt, said to The Times: “We are not speculating, but the girls were totally happy in the weeks and months before it happened and it was totally unexpected.
“They were happy girls. They’d moved out of their dad’s house two years ago but would message at least twice a day.”
Sussex police have said there is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality, and Ms Adetoro said the family were distressed by speculation surrounding the deaths.
Conspiracy theories online took off after AI was used to create one image of the women from old photographs, as the family did not have a recent picture of them together.
The circulated image by Sussex police showed the sisters smiling softly, dressed in black, beige and grey clothing, against a brown background
Once the force learnt it had been digitally created from an older image, they rescinded the image, releasing a new image showing the women as children with their father.
Ms Adetoro said: “We just wanted AI to put it together and make it look good, all three of them together.
“The most disturbing part for us is the conspiracies. We’ve heard people jump to conclusions that it was a racist attack, a murder, that they were clubbing … the most absurd messages. It is all wrong.
“These girls would not drink alcohol or smoke. They never went clubbing. They didn’t even have social media. They were their father’s world. He has to sort the funeral for three of them.”
She added: “There is no compassion shown towards the three girls and their memory of how we know they would like to be remembered.
“Social media is throwing almost shade on everything they’ve stood for because they prided themselves on being the exception to the rule in not being wild, because that’s the way their mum would have wanted them to have turned out.
“It’s sad. The conspiracies are doing the family more harm than good.”
Genevieve Barnaby, who said she had acted as a maternal figure to the women since the death of their mother, described them as “the most beautiful girls who didn’t give us no trouble”.
“They were very humble, very decent girls,” she added.
Jane Adetoro was described by relatives as “intelligent” and “serious”, having taken on a motherly role to her younger sisters.
Christina Walters had recently graduated from Brunel University, while youngest sister Rebecca Walters was remembered as “the baby who was very mischievous” and “the lively one who was always cracking jokes”.
The family have set up a GoFundMe page to help towards funeral costs, with the family saying they “want to give the girls the loving and dignified farewell they deserve.”
