Katie Price today told of the hate-filled abuse her disabled son Harvey gets – as she took her fight for a new criminal offence of online trolling to be created to Parliament.
The former glamour model described how her 15 year-old son – who is blind and has a range of health problem – is constantly mocked online.
In unusual scenes, the reality TV star swapped the television cameras for the corridors of power as she made her case to MPs.
Giving evidence with her mother Amy by her side, she described how sick trolls single him out and hurl racist abuse at him on the internet – even creating videos of him.
She is calling for a new criminal offence – which she has dubbed ‘Harvey’s Law’ – to be created to make online trolling a specific criminal offence.
Speaking about her son, Ms Price said: ‘He is mocked for his colour, his size, I just think they think he is an easy target to pick on.
‘But I’m his voice. I’m here and I’m going to protect him.’
She said the new law would ‘stop deaths and abuse’ and told MPs that tougher action should be a ‘no brainer’.
Katie Price (pictured in Parliament today) today told of the hate-filled abuse her disabled son Harvey gets – as she took her fight for a new criminal offence of online trolling to be created to Parliament.
The former glamour model (pictured in front of the Petitions Select Committee with her mother Amy by her side) told how her 15 year-old son – who is blind and has a range of health problem – is constantly mocked online
Katie Price, pictured with her son Harvey (centre) and mother Amy (far left) leaving POrtcullis House in the Palace of Westminster today told of how her 15 year-old son gets a steam of abuse online because of his race and disability
She said: ‘I truly believe that if it was a criminal offence I do not believe there would be so much of it. But there is definitely nothing in place.
‘You can make up an email, a name and be on that site. They need to tighten it up – surely it cannot be hard work to do that.
‘It would stop so many deaths, harassment and abuse. Some of you MPs have even had it as well. It happens to everyone – so it’s a no brainer really.’
Her mother Amy told MPs: ‘What makes me angry is that if someone had to do it face to face they wouldn’t do it – they hide behind these cameras.
‘It is really hurtful, an even for my other grandchildren – they see it about their brother, and they know he is special needs but I think they take it personally because he is their brother and they can’t protect him.’
Ms Price told MPs that while she has five children the online abuse is all focused solely on Harvey.
She said: ‘I’ve got five children and out of those five children the online abuse is only against one….and it is because of the colour of his skin.
‘He gets mocked for his size, and how his eyes are.
‘I kept reporting them, they would get closed down but then re open and start again.’
The reality TV star said she ‘named and shamed’ her son’s abusers on Twitter but that did not stop them.
And she called in the police to track down the culprits and close them down – and said the officers dealing with the case were ‘so good’ and desperate to push it forward.
But she said the officers became ’embarrassed’ and told her they had to drop it because there was nothing they could do as there was no specific criminal offence to charge them with.
She said: ‘They said there was nothing in place to charge them with….There has to be a point where we say there – is this a criminal offence.’
She told MPs that the online world ‘is the future’ and that more must be done now to crack down on abuse online.
Katie Price appeared with her mother Amy by her side, who told of her angry that online trolls target Harvey because they know he cannot defend himself
Katie Price, pictured in a select committee hearing in Parliament today, listened as her mother Amy, pictured right, told of how Harvey’s brothers and sisters are left upset when they hear of the abuse he receives – and that they are powerless to stop it
Katie Price (pictured in Parliament today) vowed to stand up for her son Harvey telling MPs ‘I’m his voice. I’m here and I’m going to protect him’
And she slammed Channel 4 for broadcasting the comedian Frankie Boyle after he mocked her son.
She asked MPs: ‘Why is it OK to mock disabled people …the police couldn’t do anything I have tried to get people closed down but it is getting worse. It is getting worse all the time.’
Her mother Amy said: ‘The fact is people know that he doesn’t understand and what makes us angry as a family is that he can’t defend himself.
‘If that is how we are, what must other people feel like?’
She added: ‘Katie has always been in the limelight and always had people say things about her…and then I used to get really angry as a mum…
‘When it started happening to Harvey, and because I know he is so inoffensive and cannot defend himself it makes me so angry and it impacts on all of us.
‘It does upset me, you do feel emotional about it. We need to do something about it.’
She said the family feel ‘passionately’ that a new law is needed to protect people like her grandson – and others.
Katie Price was mobbed by photographers as she left Portcullis House with her daughter Princess (pictured left) and her son Harvey (pictured right) after urging MPs to get tough with social media companies
Ms Price said she has repeatedly complained to social media providers about the abuse – but often has no idea where her complaints end up.
She said: ‘You don’t really hear anything.’
The mother-of-five said she was moved to start her campaign because of the ‘horrific’ abuse meted out to her son.
She said: ‘It’s a joke, I’ve done everything I can – I’ve gone to the police, I’ve reported people – but nothing has been done. It is still being done and it’s getting worse and worse.
‘And it’s not just Harvey I am protecting, I have spoken to other people about it it is so damaging to people.’
Her appearance before the select committee came after Theresa May told social media companies to do more to take down offensive abuse posted online.
Mrs May outlined a package of measures to ‘secure our democracy’ including a crack down on social media abuse today.
Speaking in Manchester to mark 100 years since women secured the vote, the PM said: ‘Social media – which can and should be a force for good in our democracy – are being exploited and abused, often anonymously.
‘British democracy has always been robust and oppositional. But a line is crossed when disagreement mutates into intimidation.’
Her appearance before the select committee came after Theresa May (pictured in Manchester today) told social media companies to do more to take down offensive abuse posted online.