Three sisters ruled to have died by suicide at Brighton beach

Summarised from 9 outlets · 10 reports · Updated 8 Oct, 12:08 · Archive

Three sisters drowned off Brighton beach in May after entering the water during darkness, a coroner has ruled they deliberately took their own lives.

Three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton took their own lives, a coroner has ruled. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were pulled from the water on 13 May after emergency services were called to the beach at around 5.45am. All three sisters could not swim, the inquest heard.

The sisters had been living together in a flat in Greenford, west London. Two days before they drowned, on 11 May, they travelled by taxi to Birmingham. There they arrived at Linton Walk near Brookvale Park Lake at 11.36pm. This was the area where their mother had taken her own life by drowning in 2010. They were picked up and returned to their London flat at 1.28am on 12 May.

On the evening of 12 May, the sisters took a pre-booked taxi to Brighton and arrived near the seafront at 10.21pm. They walked up and down a road adjacent to the beach for more than an hour before CCTV footage showed figures believed to be the three women making their way onto the beach at 2.42am on 13 May.

When police and the coastguard arrived at the scene in response to reports of a person in difficulty in the water, they found adverse sea conditions. Ms Adetoro was brought to shore by an RNLI crew and declared dead at the scene. Christina Walters was recovered from the sea by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters was washed onto the shore.

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield said: 'I have to consider why they entered the water in the hours of darkness when they couldn't swim. The sisters deliberately entered the water with the intent to end their lives.' The inquest at Brighton Coroner's Court heard that searches conducted by officers on Christina's laptop revealed 179 references to suicide, all relating to London and the Thames.

Their father, Joseph Jacobsen, told the court: 'There are no words that can adequately express the loss of a child. It's a heartbreak beyond anything I could imagine. Each had their own special place in my heart. They shared a special bond as sisters. I find some comfort in my Christian faith. They were my daughters - they were loved and they mattered.'

How it is being reported

• Three sisters who drowned in Brighton decided to end their own lives, inquest findsCoroner records finding of suicide in deaths of Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters and Rebecca Walters from London in May Three sisters who drowned in the sea in Brighton collectively decided to end their own lives, a coroner has ruled. The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, all from London, were recovered from the sea off Brighton in the early hours of 13 May. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org . In Australia, the…Guardian World · 8 Oct, 12:35
• Sisters who drowned in Brighton took own lives in suicide pact after visiting lake where mum diedFamily handout photo issued by Sussex Police of sisters with their father Joseph, (left to right) Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32 and Rebecca Walters, 31 (Picture: Family Handout/PA) Three sisters who drowned in the sea near Brighton beach died in a suicide pact a day after visiting the…Metro · 8 Oct, 12:23
• Three sisters who drowned off Brighton beach took their own lives, coroner rulesThe bodies of three sisters were recovered from the sea in Brighton in MayThe Independent · 8 Oct, 11:59
• Three sisters who drowned off Brighton Beach died in suicide pact after visiting lake where their mum took her own life 16 years priorThree sisters who drowned off Brighton Beach died in a suicide pact after visiting a lake where their mother took her own life in 2010. The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32 and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the sea after a major search and rescue operation took place on the tourist hotspot. Now an inquest into their deaths have shown that the trio travelled from London to Birmingham the day before they died. There, two days before they were found dead, the sisters visited their mother's grave after she died by suicide at Brookvale Lake 16 years ago. MORE TO…GB News · 8 Oct, 11:57
• Sisters pulled from sea near Brighton took own lives, coroner rulesThree sisters whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton took their own lives, a coroner has ruled.Sky News · 8 Oct, 11:53
• Sisters who drowned off Brighton 'took their own lives' - dad shares tragic tributeThe father of the three sisters said his daughters were "loved".Daily Express · 8 Oct, 11:53
• Three sisters who died in sea off Brighton took own lives, inquest findsThe bodies of Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters and Rebecca Walters were pulled from the water on 13 May.BBC News · 8 Oct, 11:51
• Three sisters who drowned at Brighton beach died in suicide pact after visiting place where their mother took her own life 16 years earlier, inquest findsThree sisters who drowned off the coast of Brighton took their own lives as part of a suicide pact after visiting the place where their mother killed herself 16 years earlier, an inquest has found.Daily Mail · 8 Oct, 11:49
• Father of 'loved' sisters dead in Brighton beach tragedy pays heartbreaking tributeThe bodies of tragic sisters Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the sea off Brighton beachThe Mirror · 8 Oct, 10:31
• Three 'loved' sisters who drowned off Brighton Beach died from suicide, inquest findsThe bodies of tragic sisters Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the sea off Brighton beachThe Mirror · 8 Oct, 10:31

In this story: Jane Adetoro · Christina Walters · Rebecca Walters · Joseph Jacobsen · Penelope Schofield · Brighton · Birmingham · Greenford

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