A United Kingdom coroner has ruled that the deaths of three Nigerian sisters found in the sea off Brighton were suicides, following an inquest that could not establish why they entered the water. The sisters, Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, lived together in Greenford, west London, before the tragedy on May 13.
The inquest at Woodvale Coroner’s Court heard that the sisters travelled to Birmingham shortly before their deaths to visit the former home of their late mother, Janice Adetoro, who died by drowning in 2010. They subsequently returned to London before travelling to Brighton on the evening of May 12. Their last known movements were captured on beach CCTV in the early hours of May 13, before their bodies were recovered from the sea and shoreline.
Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield said the sisters entered the sea at night despite being unable to swim and amid adverse sea conditions. Post-mortem examinations confirmed drowning as the cause of death, while toxicology tests found no evidence of drugs or alcohol. Investigators also found no indication that the sisters had suffered violence. However, the inquest could not determine their motives or fully explain the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The hearing also examined the sisters’ personal and family histories, including evidence that Christina had experienced anxiety and depression following their mother’s death. Their father, Joseph Jacobson, expressed profound grief over losing all three daughters, describing the tragedy as a heartbreak beyond anything he could have imagined. The inquest concluded without establishing why the sisters travelled to Brighton or what led to their deaths.
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