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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dave Burke

Gareth Southgate and Marcus Rashford back online safety shakeup after Lionesses abuse

Dozens of top sports stars - including Gareth Southgate, Marcus Rashford, Lucy Bronze and Virgil van Dijk - have called on the government to better protect women and girls online.

Chilling research found that 23 of 25 players in the history making Lionesses squad - which lifted the European Championship trophy this summer - received sexist hate from internet trolls during the tournament.

Now the government faces calls not to water down its Online Safety Bill - and to make violence against women and girls a priority alongside terrorism and child sex abuse.

Since taking office Prime Minister Liz Truss has said some "tweaks" may be needed to the bill in order to protect free speech.

Now 60 stars have put their names to an open letter calling for stronger legislation against online violence and hate aimed at women and girls.

UK charity Glitch - which campaigns against online abuse - and EE Hope United have called for strong action from the government.

Gareth Southgate and Marcus Rashford are among 60 stars to have signed an open letter (UEFA via Getty Images)

Their letter states: "In the runup to and during the tournament, HateLab identified that 23 out of the 25 members of the squad were sent online sexist hate, the kind that can't be printed here."

It continued: "We believe the new government must pass the full Online Safety Bill, and honour its promise "to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online".

"We believe that legislators should go further, naming violence against women and girls as a priority harm in the Bill, alongside terrorism and child sexual abuse material and bringing the Bill in line with strategic policing requirements."

It warns that abuse can stop people taking part in public life, being able to express themselves and in the worst cases, taking their own lives.

Lionness icons Eni Aluko, Demi Stokes and Toni Duggan are among those who signed the letter, alongside England male stars Declan Rice, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.

The Online Safety Bill was meant to go through its final amendments in the Commons before MPs left for their summer break on July 21.

The bill has been controversial in the Tory party - due to a clause which will make online messages that cause “at least serious distress” illegal.

Critics say this will create a class of behaviour that is legal offline but illegal online.

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