Inquests open for three sisters who died in sea off Brighton coast
A coroner offered condolences to the bereaved father and expressed hope that social media speculation would subside as the proceedings formally begin
A senior coroner has expressed hope that online “speculation” surrounding the deaths of three sisters found in the sea off Brighton will come to an end as their inquests formally opened.
Attending proceedings on Friday, Black Current News heard Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield address the sisters’ father directly and say she hoped confirmation that police are not seeking any third party would help quell speculation surrounding the case.
Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were found near Black Rock, close to Brighton’s Madeira Drive, on 13 May.
Emergency services, including Sussex Police, HM Coastguard, the RNLI and ambulance crews, responded to the scene in the early hours of the morning.
The court heard that Rebecca’s body washed ashore while Jane and Christina were recovered from the water by RNLI crews.
Post-mortem examinations have taken place, but the provisional cause of death for all three women remains “yet to be ascertained”.
The court heard that police were satisfied there was “no third-party involvement” in any of the deaths, although medical investigations remain ongoing.
The sisters, all born in Luton and living at the same address in Greenford, west London, were formally identified by their father, whom the court identified as Joseph Jacobson.
Previous press reports referred to Mr Jacobson as Joseph Adetoro.
Family members attended Friday’s hearing remotely.
Addressing Mr Jacobson directly, Ms Schofield said she appreciated it was “a very difficult day” and described the loss of three daughters in such circumstances as “unbearable”. She offered her condolences to the family.
The coroner also made a direct reference to the widespread online discussion surrounding the case.
Speaking to the family, she said: “The police investigation is ongoing, and as they have indicated, they are not looking for any third party, other third parties involved in your daughter’s death.
“I hope by providing this information, this will stop the social media speculation around the circumstances of their death.”
Earlier in the hearing, Ms Schofield referred to the “amount of traffic” the case had generated on social media.
The sisters' deaths have prompted widespread public discussion and concern, particularly within Black communities, amid broader conversations about several cases involving Black women whose bodies have been recovered from water in recent years, most of which were not treated as suspicious by police.
Their family have previously appealed for an end to “conspiracy theories” and speculation while mourning their loss.
Black Current News previously reported that speculation intensified after family members used AI to create a composite image of the sisters from older photographs because they did not have a recent picture of all three together.
The image was distributed by police and news outlets before being widely shared online. The family later released what is believed to be an authentic photograph.
The tragedy has attracted widespread public attention and discussion.
Earlier this month, the sisters’ aunt told The Times that their mother had died years earlier in circumstances involving water, something she said family members had reflected upon while trying to process their loss.
Reports relating to the disappearance of a woman named Janice Adetoro, believed to be the sisters’ mother, date from 2012. No connection between the incidents has been established.
A fundraiser launched to help cover funeral costs has since exceeded its original target of £18,000, raising over £43,000.
The sisters’ three inquests were formally opened and adjourned today.
A full hearing is now scheduled to take place on 8 October, when all three cases will be heard together.
Got a news tip or story idea? Submit it via this form. Reader feedback and corrections are welcomed separately here.
