When a young British man disappeared while vacationing on the Spanish island of Tenerife in mid-June, a familiar routine unfolded: search and rescue workers combing through the landscape, regular updates from tearful family members, a steady drumbeat of unconfirmed reports that he had been spotted.
This weekend, the Spanish authorities called off their search for Jay Slater, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from England who was visiting Tenerife, a popular vacation destination.
But even after the 14-day search officially ended, conspiracies and other theories have continued to spread online.
“There’s a small minority that believes and engages with these things,” said Aleksandra Cichocka, a professor of political psychology at the University of Kent.
“But they can be really disturbing to the family and the whole process of the investigation.”
Persons:
Jay Slater, “, ”, Aleksandra Cichocka
Organizations:
University of Kent
Locations:
British, Tenerife, England