[ad_1]
Arsenal and England soccer legend Ian Wright has revealed the racist abuse he received from what appears to be the account of an Irish teenager.
Ardaí is investigating after the “Party of the Day” expert tweeted screenshots of various messages he received on social media.
“I know I’m not meant to watch them, but these messages still hit me so hard,” Wright tweeted.
“This is a boy! This boy is a direct line to me and you can send this without concern.”
In addition to the vile racist abuse, the account’s messages also included Wright, his mother, father, brothers and sisters as hate figures.
“Your [sic] As if I were 65 years old, if I receive a crown, I will cough you in the face and give you your death sentence, “read one message.
A Garda Síochána confirmed that they are investigating an incident in which “abusive / racist comments have been posted on social media platforms.”
They said that no formal complaint had been filed, but that a teenager volunteered at a Garda station and was interviewed.
It is understood that the teenager claims that his account was hacked and that he was not the source of the vile messages.
A Garda spokesperson said: “A Garda Síochána is investigating an incident in which abusive / racist comments have been posted on social media.
“No formal complaint was received, but an investigation into the comments was initiated in line with our Diversity and Integration Strategy.
“An adult male teenager volunteered at a Garda station and was interviewed. A file is now being prepared for the Director of the Prosecutor’s Office.
“A Garda Síochána appeals to the public not to participate in social media comments regarding this matter.”
Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor also received an abusive and racist message on Instagram from a different account.
Kick It Out called for those who attacked him and Wright to be punished.
“We are horrified during this difficult time by the shameful abuse directed at Ian Wright and Gabriel Agbonlahor and their families,” a statement said.
“Racial hate speech and violent threats are totally unacceptable, but have sadly normalized on social media.
“As we continue to collaborate with social media platforms to ensure a safer user experience for all, these cases must be investigated by law enforcement and abusers must face criminal penalties.”
Online publishers
[ad_2]