British track and field athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill has been at the receiving end of rape threats on Twitter, after she warned against the reinstatement of convicted rapist footballer Ched Evans.
The Olympian announced in a statement on Friday that she would want her name removed from the Sheffield United's Bramall Lane stand if Evans were to be re-signed. The footballer started training with the club this week, sparking widespread debate.
A tweet directed at Ennis-Hill read that she is a stupid 'c***' saying that she would remove her name if Evans is signed and added that he hopes the footballer rapes the athlete, The Independent reported.
After receiving criticism for his threat, he replied saying that freedom of speech mate, adding that he would say what he wants when he wants.
Another user tweeted to the sportswoman another threatening message saying that he hopes Evans gets Ennis-Hill, and added that she was a little 's***'.
The police has been informed about the threats. South Yorkshire Police revealed that they were aware of the tweets and have started an investigation into the messages.
A statement said that officers are making efforts to contact the individual concerned, but have launched an investigation into the posts online.