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Police force in Twitter storm after engaging in 'rape banter' about a football match

Merseyside Police have apologised and promised a ‘full investigation’.

MERSEYSIDE POLICE IN the UK have promised a full investigation after their Twitter account engaged in ‘rape banter’ about a Premier League football match.

The criticism comes after local team Everton defeated Sunderland 6-2 at their home ground in Liverpool.

Following the match, a Twitter user tweeted at Merseyside Police that there’d been “an incident of rape” at the ground this afternoon.

Rather than ignoring the tweet or admonishing the user for wasting police time, the force’s Twitter account responded with this now deleted tweet.

rape 1 Twitter / MerseyPolice Twitter / MerseyPolice / MerseyPolice

A second tweet to the force about a ‘rape’ involving the Chelsea football team also prompted a similar light-hearted response from the person manning the Twitter account.

rape 2 Twitter / MerseyPolice Twitter / MerseyPolice / MerseyPolice

Both tweets prompted a flood of complaints that the police force would treat sexual assault with such flippancy.

 

The account that sent the initial tweet has since been deleted while Merseyside Police issued an apology.

They have also promised an investigation into “the inappropriate use of the Merseyside Police Twitter account”.

Read: Louise O’Neill: “I wanted the reader to finish this book and be absolutely furious” >

Read: Chrissie Hynde criticised for saying high heels and ‘f*** me’ clothes could ‘entice’ a rapist >

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Author
Rónán Duffy
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