Katie Price has been backed by MPs over her petition to make online abuse a specific criminal offence, after starting the campaign when her disabled son Harvey was targeted by vicious online trolls.
MPs are now calling the government to change hate crime laws in order to give disabled people more protection after Katie launched the campaign Harvey’s Law.
Read more: Kieran Hayler claims marriage to ex Katie Price was “fake”
The 40-year-old, who had previously appeared in parliament to give evidence after over 220,000 people signed her petition in 2017, was thrilled at the result and vowed to keep fighting.
The mum-of-five tweeted: “I am very pleased that my campaign has been taken seriously by parliament. We will not stop until this is a crime. #HarveysLaw.”
I am very pleased that my campaign has been taken so seriously by parliament. We will not stop until this is a crime. #HarveysLaw
— Katie Price (@KatiePrice) January 22, 2019
Read more: Katie Price addresses claims she’s waiting for Peter Andre’s wife Emily to leave him
Katie also retweeted messages of support, including BBC Presenter Victoria Derbyshire who wrote: “Seriously impressive work from @katieprice – MPs today back her call for disability abuse online to be made a hate crime.”
While a fan tweeted: “All power to @KatiePrice bad enough that internet trolling happens, but imagine not being able to defend yourself???? Harvey Price deserves all the protection we can offer him. No one should be bullied online and no one should get away with doing it either #HarveysLaw.”
Read more: Katie Price shares adorable video of son Harvey
She posted to Instagram a picture of her and Harvey thanking all the Mps for backing her campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs79GkDhuqJ/
A report by the House of Commons Petitions Committee said the current laws were not fit for purpose and self-regulation of social media had failed.
Committee chair Helen Jones MP said: “The law on online abuse is not fit for purpose and it is truly shameful that disabled people have been forced off social media while their abusers face no consequences.
“There is no excuse for the continued failure to make online platforms as safe for disabled people. Self-regulation has failed disabled people and the law must change to ensure more lives are not destroyed.”
Read more: Katie Price shares first picture with daughter Princess in months
Katie began her petition after trolls targeted Harvey, 16, who is partially blind, autistic and has Prader-Willi Syndrome, mocking his learning difficulties and racially abusing him.
The reality star told Parliament last February: “He’s so innocent. He wouldn’t even know how to hit back or defend himself.”
She added: “I went to police, they were disgusted, they were so good. But then they rang me to say, ‘There’s nothing we can do’ as there’s nothing in place to charge these people.
“Since then the abuse has been getting worse and worse.”
Do you think online abuse should be a crime? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!