By Charlotte Webster-
Katie Price has won the backing of MPs to pass Harvey’s law, after a long campaign against internet trolls who have subjected her son, Harvey to internet abuse. Mps across the board agreed that laws governing online abuse of disabled people are “not fit for purpose”.
The former model and reality star started a petition to make online abuse a specific criminal offence, and create a register of offenders. Price wants employers to use the register to screen out abusers. Her claim comes alongside other complaints submitted to the committee of abusive Facebook groups targeting people with dwarfism, and complained about media treatment of the disabled as “scroungers”.
Committee chair Helen Jones MP said: “The law on online abuse is not fit for purpose and it is truly shameful that disabled people have been forced off social media while their abusers face no consequences.”
“There is no excuse for the continued failure to make online platforms as safe for disabled people. Self-regulation has failed disabled people and the law must change to ensure more lives are not destroyed.” Jones is right because it is pathetic and sad that internet trolls can victimise disabled people online and make their lives a misery. Those who violate the law will be subject to punishment, but that can only be done against trolls who are identified on social media like facebook.
Offenders on twitter are often unidentifiable, making internet rolls on this platform the most ghostly ones. The task for addressing this evil on twitter remains for the social media giant themselves to work out.
Price, a former model wrote: “Trolling is a major problem in this day and age. People of all ages and background suffer every day, including my family – especially my son Harvey.
“I have tried my best to expose people and even had two arrested but nothing was done and there were no repercussions or penalties for this behaviour.” Price, like every normal mother, loves her son unconditionally and suffers the pain that accompany’s witnessing her son’s victimisation by online trolls.
More than 220,000 backed her campaign and the House of Commons Petitions Committee started an inquiry into online
.Victim Of Online Abuse: Harvey Price Image: Twitter
Its report has found that despite the government launching its internet safety strategy in 2017 to target “dangers like cyber-bullying, trolling and under-age access to porn” online, it failed to protect disabled people.
“Online abuse can destroy people’s careers, their social lives and do lasting damage to their health,” said the MPs.
“People should not have to avoid their town centre, local park or place of work to avoid sustained abuse, mockery and threats,” they added.
“Online spaces are just as important in the modern world and should be treated as such.”
Interestingly, MPs said the law on hate crime must give disabled people the same protections as those who suffer hate crime due to race or religion. Ms Price told MPs of “the most horrific things” which had been said about her teenage son Harvey, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, autism, and is partially blind.
Price said he was attacked because he does not have the ability to speak back and because online trolls “find him an easy target”.
Other people submitted evidence to the committee of abusive Facebook groups targeting people with dwarfism, and complained about media treatment of the disabled as “scroungers”.
Among the report’s recommendations are that social media companies should be required to make sure their rules and guidelines are accessible to disabled people.
The MPs also want the government to make it a specific crime to “stir up hatred against someone because of their disability”