Police investigation into racist who assaulted Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has been dropped when X refuses to divulge yob’s location

Winger Bukayo Saka, 22, became the focus of a harsh online assault when a troll shared a manipulated image with a derogatory slur, asserting that Saka “needs to be humbled before he ruins this sport any further.” This incident occurred after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League in April. During the match, the England international fell in the penalty area, appealing for a penalty, which led to controversy among some fans who accused Saka of attempting to deceive the referee by intentionally colliding with the opposing goalkeeper.

Following the disturbing post, Arsenal reached out to X (formerly Twitter) to request the removal of the offensive content. Despite this, it took the platform four weeks to suspend the account responsible for the attack, raising concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of social media moderation.

The Metropolitan Police treated the issue seriously and involved detectives from the UK Football Policing Unit to identify the person behind the racist abuse. Their investigation found that the account holder was located abroad, but X refused to reveal the country of origin, which hindered efforts to forward the information to the relevant authorities for further action.

This lack of cooperation from X faced sharp criticism from political figures and advocacy groups. Labour MP Clive Betts, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football, expressed his frustration with the platform’s handling of the situation. He remarked, “Simply because they are overseas and X is not prepared to take action is not good enough. If we cannot rely on them to self-moderate, then further regulation is required.”

Sunder Katwala, director of the equality think tank British Future, shared similar concerns. He expressed disappointment over X’s refusal to assist law enforcement in prosecuting those responsible for extreme racial hatred. Katwala stated, “When the police want to act, it is enormously disappointing if X are refusing to facilitate the effort to prosecute and show that extreme racial hatred should carry consequences.”

This incident has rekindled the ongoing debate about social media platforms’ responsibilities in addressing online abuse and the need for stricter regulations to hold these companies accountable. As Saka continues to excel on the pitch, the incident stands as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by players who endure such vile behavior and the importance of collective action in fighting racism in football.