Ten-year ban for online race hate
TEN-YEAR banning orders from football matches are to be brought in for fans found guilty of using racist language online.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced she will bring forward legislation next year to tackle the scourge of racism in sport after this summer’s Euro 2020 competition was marred by racist attacks on England’s star players.
Black players including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were subject to racist abuse following the final.
The Prime Minister pledged to get tougher on online abusers.
Football Banning Orders can currently be imposed on people convicted of violence, disorder and racist or homophobic chanting, but will be extended to cover online hate offences.
The new law is expected to take the form of an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and will be brought forward early in the new year.
Ms Patel said: “This summer we saw the beautiful game marred by disgraceful racism from online trolls, who hid behind their keyboards and abused our footballers.
“Racism is unacceptable and for too long football has been marred by this shameful prejudice.
“Those responsible for appalling racist abuse online must be punished. The changes I am announcing will make sure they are banned from attending football matches.”
Football Banning Orders bar an individual from attending any regulated football match for three to ten years.
The latest statistics show there are currently more than 1,300 Football Banning Orders in force across England andwales.
They are issued either following a conviction for a football-related offence or following a complaint by a local police force, British Transport Police or the Crown Prosecution Service.
These agencies can make an application to the court to make an Order in respect of a person who has at any time caused or contributed to football-related violence or disorder, in the UK or elsewhere.
Breach of a Football Banning Order is a criminal offence and is punishable by a maximum sentence of six months in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
In addition, a further order may be imposed. They are time limited – orders expire and new ones are imposed on a regular basis.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Racist abuse flooding footballers’ social media feeds all hours of the day has a profound impact on everyone involved in the game – and it has to end.
“We are tackling this abhorrent behaviour in all forms. As well as banning racists from games, we are introducing ground-breaking new laws to stamp out abuse online and to make sure tech firms tackle the hate on their sites.”
‘This abuse has a
profound impact’