Everton and Police Take Action After Online Abuse Targeted at Calvert-Lewin’s Wife

Everton Football Club and Merseyside Police have launched a joint response after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s wife, Sandra, became the target of a wave of online abuse described by the club as "threatening, racist, and misogynistic."

The abuse followed a heartfelt Instagram post from Sandra Calvert-Lewin, who praised her husband following what is likely to be his final appearance at Goodison Park. Everton concluded their time at the historic stadium with a 2-0 victory over Southampton last Sunday, with Calvert-Lewin making an appearance from the bench.

"30 goals at Goodison. Top 3 ever. They might not shout it - but we're proud every single day," she wrote in reference to Calvert-Lewin’s impressive home goal tally, which places him behind only Duncan Ferguson and Romelu Lukaku in Premier League history for the club.

Despite the tribute, the post drew criticism and abuse from sections of the fanbase, prompting a strong reaction from the club. In an official statement, Everton condemned the comments: "Everton Football Club strongly condemns the threatening, racist, and misogynistic abuse directed towards the wife of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on social media.

"This sinister and intimidating behaviour is not only deeply hurtful and distressing, it is also criminal - and does not represent the values of Everton or the overwhelming majority of our supporters.

"The club has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discriminatory and abusive behaviour. We are working closely with Merseyside Police and the Premier League to ensure the individuals responsible are identified and held accountable for their actions.

"Threats or abuse of any kind - whether online or in person - are completely unacceptable and have no place in our game or in society. The club urges anyone who sees or experiences such behaviour to report it to the authorities and relevant social media platforms immediately.

"We will continue to offer our full support to Dominic and his family."

In response, Merseyside Police confirmed that they are investigating the matter and warned perpetrators that online anonymity offers no protection from legal consequences.

"We are aware of racist and threatening social media comments directed towards the wife of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

"To send such abhorrent messages to anyone online is utterly appalling and we are working with Everton Football Club as part of our initial enquiries.

"We take these reports extremely seriously and would like to remind social media users that any belief that they can maintain anonymity online to commit offences is misplaced.

"Offences committed online, which includes making threats and racist abuse, can be investigated."

Calvert-Lewin, who joined Everton in 2016 from Sheffield United, is approaching the end of his current contract but has reportedly been offered fresh terms to stay. Despite a challenging season, including limited goal returns, he remains one of Goodison Park's most effective scorers in the Premier League era.

_{Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono, Instagram / @everton}