Man Arrested For Online Harassment Of Jess Carter During Euro Women 2025

Jess Carter was abused online during Euro 2025 (Instagram/@_jesslcarder).

JAKARTA - A man has been arrested by police investigating online abuse to England defender Jess Carter during Euro Women's 2025 earlier this summer.

Lancashire police arrested a 59-year-old man in Great Harwood on Thursday, August 28, 2025, morning local time, on suspicion of malicious communications related to some of these messages.

He has been released. However, according to a police statement, the investigation is still ongoing.

Cheshire Police Chief Mark Roberts, who leads the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) for the football police, said the message to Jess Carter was clearly harassment.

"The messages addressed to Jess Carter are terrible. I would like to praise her for daring to face this abuse and helping our investigation."

"No one should be the target of such disgusting harassment. I hope today's arrests will be the first of the next many arrests in the coming months."

"We want to emphasize that this kind of racist harassment will not be tolerated. Everyone is responsible for what they do and say."

"We want to make sure the perpetrators cannot hide behind social media profiles to upload heinous comments," said Mark Roberts at ESPN.

Meanwhile, Lancashire police, Dan Fish, said the arrest was a signal of seriousness to take action against the perpetrators of harassment against footballers.

"The Lancashire Police do not tolerate hatred in any form, either directly or online."

"I hope this arrest sends a clear message that the Lancashire Police will make every effort to identify those involved in this unacceptable behavior - no matter how long it takes," said Dan Fish.

Last month, Carter revealed that she had been the target of a lot of abuse during the tournament.

The Chief Executive of the English Football Federation (FA), Mark Bullingham, said at the time that the federation immediately contacted the British Police when it learned about the abuse.

Bullingham vowed to ensure those responsible for these crimes and hatred are brought to justice.

Carter told ITV News earlier this month that the psychological impact of abuse made her feel scared when Britain's head coach, Sarina Wiegman, told her she had been selected to play in the Euro Women's 2025 final - which England finally won on penalties against Spain to defend the title.

"That's the first time I've felt scared. Too scared to play. I think it's a combination of a big game."

"But, above all that, (I'm) afraid of any harassment that might happen, whether it's football-based or racial harassment that's going to happen because I made a mistake."

"(The harassment) makes me feel very small. It makes me feel negligible, worthless. It makes me doubt everything I do. It's not a comfortable place."

"It made me insecure to return to the field. My family was also devastated and saddened by it," Carter said.