MPs back star’s battle to make online abuse a specific criminal offence

KATIE PRICE received the backing of MPs Stella Creasy and John Whittingdale as she spoke about her government campaign to take action against internet trolls.

The reality television star will give evidence to the Commons Petitions Committee tomorrow about her call to make online abuse a specific criminal offence and to create a register of offenders.

Her 15-year-old son Harvey – who is partially blind, autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome – was targeted on Twitter last year by an unnamed 19-year-old who received a caution from Sussex Police.

The MPs began an inquiry into online abuse after a petition Price launched “brought to Parliament an issue that has not been widely discussed”.

Ms Price told ITV’s

yesterday: “I got two people arrested, (the police) seized all their computers, they seized everything, took them quite far, but then it got to the point where they can’t charge them because there’s nothing in place for it.”

She said she wants to introduce legislation called Harvey’s Law, and criticised a lack of social media security over protecting people from such abuse.

Labour MP Ms Creasy said: “The police and the CPS need to be much better at using the harassment legislation and put the victim at the centre of it.”

She said that she is concerned the authorities “see this as about the language used rather than the targeting of somebody”.

Conservative former Minister Mr Whittingdale added: “I do think this is something we need to look at.”