Katie Price urges MPs to act over online abuse aimed at son Harvey
The model and businesswoman is leading a campaign for new laws, telling a committee of "disgusting" behaviour towards her son.
Tuesday 6 February 2018 19:22, UK
Model and TV personality Katie Price has urged MPs to make online abuse a specific criminal offence, as she warned of victims taking their own lives.
The businesswoman told of "the most horrific things" aimed at her son Harvey, who she described as an "easy target" due to his race, size and disabilities.
Price revealed how Harvey, the son of former footballer Dwight Yorke, has been branded a "black spastic" amid "a lot of racial abuse", and told how mocked-up videos of the 15-year-old have been shared online.
"It's getting worse, it's just getting worse all the time," she said.
Harvey, the eldest of Price's five children, is partially blind, autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome; a rare genetic condition that causes learning difficulties, behavioural problems and physical symptoms such as weight gain.
He is the only one of her children who receives abuse, she said.
Price singled out famous names such as comedian Frankie Boyle - who previously claimed Harvey would make sexual advances on his mother during a stand-up routine - and England cricketer Ben Stokes, who apologised over footage showing him doing an impression of her son.
"I've had it before (abuse), but at least I've got a voice to speak," she said, speaking to a committee of MPs.
"Harvey hasn't and it's very clear, people who mock Harvey, they know he hasn't got a voice back and they mock him more."
Price took Harvey to Parliament with her on Tuesday, where he met members of the committee before the hearing.
Last year, Price attracted more than 220,000 signatures to a petition calling on the Government to make online abuse a specific criminal offence and create a register of offenders.
Speaking on Tuesday to the House of Commons' petitions committee, which is considering her campaign, Price described how she had previously reported "disgusting" abuse directed at her son to police.
Although two people were subsequently arrested, Price said officers were left "really embarrassed" because they could not bring any charges.
Last year, a 19-year-old man from Newick, East Sussex, was cautioned for posting offensive messages on Twitter about Harvey.
Describing the impact of online abuse, Price told MPs: "How many times does someone have to keep on abusing you, before action is taken?
"You could get someone who's not as strong as myself. Harvey's had stuff saying, 'why don't you just die?'.
"Imagine if there's some young girl who's really vulnerable, and someone says, 'why don't you just die?'.
"And then they go and commit suicide. That's what I mean, it could just take that one abusive message."
Price claimed it is a "no brainer" to turn online abuse into a specific criminal offence, suggesting there would be "less of it" if police were granted greater powers.
She told the committee: "I know you lot sitting there do agree with me, really! There's not one person I've met who doesn't agree with me."
Price also suggested a register of offenders would allow perpetrators to be "named and shamed," and notify prospective employers of their online actions.
She claimed those who abuse her son "get a buzz from it" and "like to see how many retweets they got, how many people found it funny".
Price claimed "people would feel so guilty" if they met her son, who she described as "so innocent".
Price who appeared alongside her mother Amy Price, recently diagnosed with a terminal lung condition, told the committee: "We're relying on you guys for the next stage."
Price's appearance before MPs came as the Prime Minister announced plans to review laws and make sure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online.
Speaking in Manchester, Theresa May said: "As well as being places for empowering self-expression, online platforms can become places of intimidation and abuse.
"This is true for children facing the daily misery of online bullying, where a smartphone allows their persecutors in effect to follow them home and continue to torment them even after school has finished. And it is also true for many adults."