Sunday, December 26th, 2021
Racially insulted player
England plans stadium bans for Internet agitators
After England lost to Italy on penalties in the European Championship final, the guilty party was quickly identified by some fans: the three black English missed shooters were then racially insulted online. The British Home Secretary is planning sensitive consequences for online hate speech.
According to a media report, hatred and racism by football fans on the Internet could lead to stadium bans in England and Wales in the future. “Those who are responsible for racist abuse on the Internet must be punished,” said British Home Secretary Priti Patel, according to Sky Sports, which reported on the government’s plans.
The laws should therefore be adapted so that agitation on the Internet can lead to stadium bans for up to ten years. So far, such bans, of which around 1,300 are currently in force in England and Wales, could only be imposed if fans became violent or noticed, for example, with racist chants. They are usually imposed following complaints from the police or prosecutors or following convictions.
After England lost the European Championship in the final against Italy last summer, the three black English missed shooters were racially insulted on social media on penalties. The numerous racist insults in the networks had sparked a political debate and also had legal consequences.
For example, a court in the UK county of Cheshire sentenced a 43-year-old to a 14-week suspended prison sentence for racist insult after England had lost the World Cup final.