Police investigate social media abuse targeting Arsenal forward Kai Havertz’s pregnant wife.
Police have begun an investigation into social media abuse directed at Kai Havertz’s pregnant wife after Arsenal’s elimination from the FA Cup against Manchester United.
Havertz, 25, missed a penalty during Arsenal’s shootout defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Following the game, his partner, Sophia, who is expecting their first child, shared two disturbing messages she received on Instagram.
Arsenal has tasked the data technology company Signify with identifying the individuals responsible for the abusive messages. According to the PA news agency, local authorities are now involved in the matter.
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary stated, “Officers have received a report of malicious communications directed at a Hertfordshire resident on Sunday, January 12. Inquiries are underway.”
On the eve of Arsenal’s Premier League match against Tottenham, manager Mikel Arteta called for action to be taken.
The Spaniard said: ‘It’s incredible, honestly. We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences.
‘It’s something we have to eradicate from the game because it’s so cynical and dependent on the result of an action. There is no other industry like this.
‘When we played Ipswich on December 27, we won 1-0 and Kai Havertz scored. The whole stadium after that is singing the “Waka, Waka” (his chant). That was 20 days ago. Where is the perspective?
‘We are all responsible. You guys (the media) are responsible, everybody is responsible for the narrative and how we talk. We cannot look somewhere else. That’s a really serious matter. It affects me. It affects him and everybody that is in the industry.
‘We can accept it and say ‘that’s our job,’ but there are certain limits, and the line has to be drawn. We put a lot of attention on technology and what is next in football. What is next in football is that this should be prohibited. It cannot happen. That’s it.’
