Western Mail

MP ‘bombarded’ with death and rape threats

- BEN HATTON Press Associatio­n

A WELSH Labour MP has said she was “bombarded” with death and rape threats after speaking out against the controvers­ial social media influencer Andrew Tate.

Pontypridd MP Alex DaviesJone­s said she received the abuse to her “inbox and my office”.

Ms Davies-Jones was speaking during a Commons debate on neighbourh­ood policing, and thanked her own police force for its support.

She said: “I’d like to put on record my own thanks to... all of the local police in my south Wales area who have been an immense support to me in the recent weeks after I have spoken out about the horrendous abuse and behaviour of Andrew Tate online.

“As a result, my own inbox and my office have been bombarded with death threats, rape threats.”

The MP said the police response had been “brilliant”, but added “sadly this isn’t the case for everyone who experience­s the same”.

Ms Davies-Jones raised concerns over the impact of Tate on school boys at a session of Prime Minister’s Questions earlier this month.

She said: “Teachers are now having to develop their own resources to re-educate boys who are being brainwashe­d online by his deeply toxic messaging.”

The former kickboxing world champion, who amassed millions of followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok for his divisive content, is facing allegation­s of human traffickin­g and being part of an organised crime gang.

He denies the allegation­s. Following his arrest in Romania, he will remain in detention until late February after a judge granted a request to extend his detention by 30 days for a second time.

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> Alex DaviesJone­s yesterday

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