Police find no evidence of crime in deaths of three sisters at Brighton beach
Sussex Police have concluded there is no evidence of criminality after three sisters from London drowned off Brighton beach in May, following a taxi drop-off near the seafront.
Three sisters who died after entering the sea together off Brighton beach in May were not the victims of any crime, Sussex Police have concluded, closing their investigation into an incident that prompted a major emergency response on the East Sussex coast.
The women were named as Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, all from the Uxbridge area of west London. They were found dead in the water after being dropped off by a taxi near the seafront, according to police accounts of their final movements.
The force said its inquiries had uncovered no evidence of criminality in connection with the deaths. The finding ends a probe that had examined how the three sisters came to be in the sea together and whether any third party was involved.
Emergency services were called to the beach in May after the women were reported missing in the water. Their bodies were subsequently recovered from the sea off Brighton, a city whose seafront is a popular destination for day-trippers and visitors from across southern England.
The case drew national attention in part because of the unusual circumstances: three adult siblings, all from the same family, entering the sea at the same location after arriving by taxi. Police have not suggested any criminal motive or identified any suspect.
The sisters' father has spoken publicly of his grief, describing the loss of his three daughters as unbearable. His comments came as Sussex Police issued an update on the investigation, confirming that no criminal proceedings would follow.
Brighton beach and its adjoining promenade are heavily used by the public, with safety equipment and signage in place along the shoreline. The deaths have renewed attention on the risks associated with entering the sea in the area, though police have not attributed the incident to any specific cause.
The investigation involved reconstructing the women's movements before they reached the beach, including the taxi journey that brought them to the vicinity of the seafront. Detectives examined whether anyone else was present or involved at the time they entered the water.
With no evidence of crime established, the case now passes out of the criminal justice system. The conclusion means there will be no prosecution, and the circumstances of the deaths are likely to be examined further through the coronial process, which handles sudden and unexplained fatalities in England and Wales.
Sussex Police have not released a detailed timeline of the final hours of the three sisters, beyond confirming the taxi drop-off and the recovery of their bodies from the sea. The force has also not indicated that any other individuals are being sought in connection with the incident.
The deaths left a family in west London mourning three siblings at once, and a coastal community grappling with an event that unfolded in public view on a stretch of shoreline normally associated with leisure rather than loss. For now, the official position is that no crime occurred, and the police file is closed.
