Britain has finally deiced to take action regarding online abuse of footballers with Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service announcing on Wednesday that anyone convicted of such online hate crimes can now be banned from attending matches.
British courts previously did not have the authority to hand out punishments for online abuse and could only mete out justice for in-person offenses during the football matches. The CPS, however, said it would now be able to ask courts for tougher penalties for supporters “intent on hateful conduct”, including racist abuse.
“The new legal provisions will allow banning orders to be made for abuse involving racial or other hateful hostility which occurs online,” the CPS said in a statement.
The CPS also mirrored the sentiments which are there for all to see, as football-related hate crimes have been on the rise in recent years.
It added that its updated guidance should be applied in all cases where it is possible to issue football banning orders.
“At the CPS, we play a crucial role in tackling these crimes and making our national sport inclusive and safe to watch. There is no place for hate in football. Hate crime can have a profound impact on victims,” it said
The English Premier league condemns the online abuse of footballers especially on the basis of their skin color by taking a knee before each game.
Despite the best efforts, the problem has not been curtailed thus far. Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Romelo Lukaku, among many others, have all received racist abuse online.
Perhaps adding stricter punishments for those who hide behind anonymity will lead to a decrease in such activities.
