Reporting online hate
How Brighton's Neal Maupay utilised the Premier League's dedicated system to report the threatening and abusive messages he received.
Addressing the issue of online discriminatory abuse is a priority for the Premier League and our clubs.
Following the launch of the League's dedicated reporting system for players, managers, coaches and their family members in June 2020, one player to have utilised it is Brighton & Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.
The Frenchman used the system to report the threatening and abusive messages he received on Instagram.
The Premier League legal team undertook a detailed investigation to successfully identify and locate the offender, before working with Neal, the club and local authorities to pursue legal action.
This resulted in a man in Singapore, Derek Ng De Ren, being prosecuted and convicted of crimes relating to harassment.
See: Man convicted of sending online abuse to Maupay
Neal said: "I would like to thank the club and Premier League for the support they showed me in this matter, and the professionalism in dealing with it; as well as the police and courts in Singapore.
"The vile and toxic abuse of which I was on the receiving end is a daily occurrence for many professional athletes and public figures, and I hope this goes some way to showing those online trolls that it is totally unacceptable and that the authorities are prepared to take the necessary action."
