Mayor welcomes partnership to tackle online abuse

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd

Plans for prosecutors to team up with Twitter to fight online abuse have been welcomed by the region’s Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner.

Speaking following the announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service that Twitter is to train prosecutors and update their skills and knowledge around the use of social media, Tony Lloyd said: “This is good news for victims of online abuse. Perpetrators are increasingly using the internet to target their victims, shielded by a sense of anonymity the online world can provide.

Even if these acts are committed online, the impact on victims is very real and just as devastating.

“By working with companies like Twitter, we can learn more about how this technology is being used to commit crime, in particular sexual and domestic violence, and vitally how to stop online abusers and bring them to justice.

“Just this week for example, Jason Lawrence, from Hampshire, was jailed for life for raping women he met through online dating site, Match.com. While authorities across the UK can and must learn from this case, the message to perpetrators is clear – you are not untraceable and you are not above the law.

“Let’s hope other global companies follow in Twitter’s footsteps and work with authorities to protect the vulnerable and make the virtual world safer for everyone.”