Three sisters from west London died by suicide after entering the sea off Brighton in the early hours of May 13, a coroner has concluded. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the water at East Sussex’s Brighton Beach but could not be saved.

An inquest held at Woodvale Coroner’s Court in Brighton revealed that the sisters had no swimming ability and that sea conditions at the time were adverse. Senior coroner Penelope Schofield stated the women deliberately entered the water with the intention to end their lives.

Evidence presented showed that less than 48 hours prior to their deaths, the sisters travelled together to Birmingham to visit the area where their mother, Janice Adetoro, drowned in a lake in 2010. They were dropped off at an address near Brookvale Park Lake late on May 11 and picked up in the early hours of May 12 before returning to their shared home in Greenford, west London. Investigators noted no CCTV footage showing their activities during the visit.

Later that evening, the women took a pre-booked taxi to Brighton, arriving near the seafront at 10:21 p.m. CCTV footage captured them walking along the beachfront intermittently until roughly 2:42 a.m. on May 13, when they were thought to have entered the sea. Passers-by reported seeing bodies in the water several hours later. Jane was rescued by an RNLI crew but was pronounced dead at the scene, while Christina was recovered by lifeboat crew and Rebecca’s body washed ashore. All three were subsequently declared deceased by emergency services.

Police investigations found extensive online searches related to suicide and water on Christina’s electronic devices, alongside evidence that the sisters had prepared for their deaths by tidying their flat, settling debts, and closing bank accounts in the days before they died. Postmortem examinations confirmed drowning as the cause of death and detected no drugs or alcohol in their systems. The sisters were described as living secluded and private lives.

The sisters’ father, Joseph Jacobsen, who attended the inquest via video link, expressed profound grief, describing the loss as a heartbreak beyond words. He said the sisters shared a close bond and remembered them as intelligent and accomplished, with Jane and Christina having worked in accountancy and Rebecca in human resources. He also recalled their mother’s death as a significant event in their lives.

While the coroner acknowledged the tragic circumstances and the sisters’ secluded lifestyle, she emphasised that the reasons behind their decision—and their choice of Brighton as a location—remain unknown and are not matters for court speculation. Police confirmed there was no evidence of third-party involvement in the deaths.

The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about mental health and suicide prevention. Relevant support services such as the Samaritans offer 24/7 assistance to those struggling with suicidal thoughts.