Eni Aluko has said she fears for her safety following a slew of online abuse sparked by Joey Barton‘s comments comparing her to a serial killer.
The former England footballer shared two videos on Instagram on Tuesday evening in which she spoke about the horrific abuse she has received in recent weeks.
Aluko said she felt “genuinely scared” and “under threat” because of the abuse, to the extent that she didn’t leave her house “until Friday”, and has now gone abroad.
It comes after former footballer Barton compared Aluko and co-commentator Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West.
This prompted to ITV release a statement condemning Barton for his “vindictive remarks” about the two women, whilst the government
In the 15-minute Instagram video, Aluko said: “Now, I’m open and honest and I’m human and I’m more than happy to admit that I’ve been scared this week.
“I’ve genuinely been scared this week. I didn’t leave my house until Friday and I’m now abroad. It’s really important to say that online abuse has a direct impact on your safety and how you feel and how safe you feel in real life.
“I’ve felt under threat this week. I’ve felt like something is going to happen to me. And I don’t say that for anyone to feel sorry for me – I say that for people to understand the reality and the impact that hate speech has, the impact that racism has, the impact that sexism has, the impact that misogyny has on all of us females in the game, in sports broadcasting.
“That’s the real impact – and it’s not an isolated incident, this is now showing up as a culture in the game, from certain fan bases and certain people. They’re creating a culture where people don’t want to go to work, people don’t want to leave their house, people feel under threat. Obviously there’s a big impact on mental health as well.”
Although she did not mention Barton by name, Aluko said she had “taken advice from lawyers and a course of action has now been decided on.”
Referencing the late presenter Caroline Flack, Aluko said: “If you come out and are racist, or sexist or misogynistic and threaten people online, there are laws for that, that govern that behaviour, so it’s not free [speech].
“There are consequences for that. And over the past week I’ve taken advice from lawyers and a course of action has now been decided upon.
“My fear, actually, is that the next time this happens, if we don’t really put a stop to this, is that that girl or that woman kills herself. I’m not being hyperbolic about that when I say that it’s happened. Caroline Flack, God rest her soul, killed herself, largely because of the online abuse that she was getting.
“At what point are we going to understand that this needs to stop? Sexism, racism, misogyny is not an opinion. It’s not freedom of speech. It’s against the law. It’s as simple as that.”
In the last couple of months, Barton has launched a number of attacks on female pundits and figures in football after saying women shouldn’t be allowed to work in or comment on the men’s professional game.
Earlier this month, the government labelled Barton’s comments as “dangerous” and “not acceptable.”
Sports minister Stuart Andrew said he would “look at” what could be done to stop his hateful remarks.
Barton has been out of work since he was sacked by Bristol Rovers in October.
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