Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have  made a formal complaint to the police after online rape threats were made against their daughter, Chloe. The television presenters said they had handed over 'a substantial amount of evidence' to the police. a week after their 27-year-old daughter was targeted by online trolls over the Ched Evans rape case. And they said detectives had 'launched an immediate investigation' as a result. Chloe was threatened with rape on Twitter after she defended comments made by Finnigan during a debate around the future of of the footballer rapist, in which her mother said his crime was 'non violent' and did not cause 'bodily harm'. Madeley, left, and Finnigan have complained to police about online rape threats to their daughter, Chloe, right . Madeley and Finnigan released a statement today, above, saying Scotland Yard had launched an investigation . Twitter trolls turned on Chloe after her mother appeared to defend rapist Ched Evans, right, on Loose Women . Today Chloe's parents put a statement on their website saying: 'Following legal advice, our family has now made a formal complaint to the Metropolitan Police about cyber-stalking, harassment and, most recently, rape threats made against Chloe on Twitter. 'We have presented the police with a substantial amount of evidence, and they have launched an immediate investigation. 'We will be making no further comment at this time.' The furore began when Finnigan, 66, appeared on ITV's Loose Women shortly before Evans was released from jail a week ago after serving two and a half years for raping a 19-year-old woman. Finnigan argued that the 26-year-old should be allowed to resume his playing career on his release from jail because, while the attack was 'unpleasant', his victim was drunk. She also said: 'The rape – and I am not, please, by any means minimising any kind of rape – but the rape was not violent. He didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person.' Under the Malicious Communications Act 1988, any 'indecent or grossly offensive' message that causes 'distress or anxiety' to the recipient can lead to prosecution. The maximum punishment is a fine not exceeding level four on the standard scale - i.e. no more than £2,500. Since the 1988 law came into force before the widespread use of the internet, e-mail and social networking, prosecutors have used a number of different laws to charge Twitter trolls. Student Liam Stacey, who sent a series of racially abusive tweets after footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed, was charged under the Crime and Disorder Act. Two men jailed for inciting riots last summer were found guilty under the Serious Crime Act, and Paul Chambers, who joked he would blow Doncaster airport 'sky high' was charged under the Communications Act 2003. Earlier this month, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling revealed to The Mail on Sunday that the maximum six month sentence for internet abuse will be quadrupled . The tougher new legislation is already being dubbed ‘Chloe’s Law’ after Miss Madeley's public stance against the disturbing messages. Her comments provoked a storm on social media sites, with campaigners accusing her of perpetuating harmful myths about rape. Finnigan apologised several times for causing offence, insisting that rape was 'an appalling crime', and saying she was merely discussing 'the legal facts of the case'. But the trolls merely turned on her daughter, with one saying: 'Judy's given me her blessing to rape you.' Another tweet, directed at her mother, said: 'Hope you discover first hand what rape is like you idiot.' In a message put up via Twitter, Chloe said: 'My mother was voicing an opinion on the matter of criminals being accepted back into society. 'The comments she made on the case in question were facts, so not opinions. 'While it may anger some that the term "non-violent rape" exists, unfortunately it does. 'Referencing it and explaining why that was the charge does not mean that you think this category of rape is acceptable. 'To believe that my mother is pro "non-violent rape" is ridiculous and I am shocked that many people have jumped to this conclusion. 'To the trolls wishing rape on me, stop, you are utterly pathetic.' At the time, Madeley used Twitter to warn the trolls he would go to police, saying: ''I have noted every sick troll threat. 'Do they really think it's ok to wish/threaten rape on a woman?  They're in deep trouble, trust me.' He added: 'Trolls who sent sick rape threats?  Prosecution awaits you.' A Scotland Yard spokesman said today: 'An allegation of harassment was made to Barnet police relating to messages received via a social media site. Targeted: Stella Creasy MP, left, and historian Mary Beard, right, have both been victims of online trolling . 'A criminal investigation has commenced.  There are no arrests at this stage but enquiries continue.' Last month Peter Nunn, a 33-year-old delivery driver from Bristol, was jailed for 18 weeks for using Twitter to threaten to rape Labour MP Stella Creasy in response to her backing of a campaign to put Jane Austen on the £10 note. Historian Mary Beard was trolled after she appeared on television, with one troll, Cambridge student Oliver Rawlings, 20, calling her a 'filthy old slut'. She later accepted his invitation to lunch to apologise, and said afterwards: 'He is going to find it hard to get a job, because as soon as you Google his name, that is what comes up.' Rape in Britain is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force a decade ago, replacing and refining previous legislation. One of the key changes under the new Act was to define consent.  A person consents if they agree to have sex by choice, and if they have the freedom and capacity to make that choice. Therefore in a situation where a victim had sex when they were incapacitated by drink, the law would say that they did not have the freedom or capacity to make the choice, ie did not consent. The law does not require the victim to have physically resisted in order to prove a lack of consent. Source:rapecrisis.org.uk .
Madeley and wife, Judy Finnigan, have complained to the Metropolitan Police .
TV hosts are concerned with 'cyberstalking, harassment, and rape threats'
The couple say they have given police 'a substantial amount of evidence'
Daughter Chloe, 27, was threatened with rape by Twitter trolls last week .
Threats came after Finnigan appeared on ITV's Loose Women talk show .
She seemed to defend footballer Ched Evans, jailed for raping 19-year-old .
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have  made a formal complaint to the police after online rape threats were made against their daughter, Chloe. The television presenters said they had handed over 'a substantial amount of evidence' to the police. a week after their 27-year-old daughter was targeted by online trolls over the Ched Evans rape case. And they said detectives had 'launched an immediate investigation' as a result. Chloe was threatened with rape on Twitter after she defended comments made by Finnigan during a debate around the future of of the footballer rapist, in which her mother said his crime was 'non violent' and did not cause 'bodily harm'. Madeley, left, and Finnigan have complained to police about online rape threats to their daughter, Chloe, right . Madeley and Finnigan released a statement today, above, saying Scotland Yard had launched an investigation . Twitter trolls turned on Chloe after her mother appeared to defend rapist Ched Evans, right, on Loose Women . Today Chloe's parents put a statement on their website saying: 'Following legal advice, our family has now made a formal complaint to the Metropolitan Police about cyber-stalking, harassment and, most recently, rape threats made against Chloe on Twitter. 'We have presented the police with a substantial amount of evidence, and they have launched an immediate investigation. 'We will be making no further comment at this time.' The furore began when Finnigan, 66, appeared on ITV's Loose Women shortly before Evans was released from jail a week ago after serving two and a half years for raping a 19-year-old woman. Finnigan argued that the 26-year-old should be allowed to resume his playing career on his release from jail because, while the attack was 'unpleasant', his victim was drunk. She also said: 'The rape – and I am not, please, by any means minimising any kind of rape – but the rape was not violent. He didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person.' Under the Malicious Communications Act 1988, any 'indecent or grossly offensive' message that causes 'distress or anxiety' to the recipient can lead to prosecution. The maximum punishment is a fine not exceeding level four on the standard scale - i.e. no more than £2,500. Since the 1988 law came into force before the widespread use of the internet, e-mail and social networking, prosecutors have used a number of different laws to charge Twitter trolls. Student Liam Stacey, who sent a series of racially abusive tweets after footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed, was charged under the Crime and Disorder Act. Two men jailed for inciting riots last summer were found guilty under the Serious Crime Act, and Paul Chambers, who joked he would blow Doncaster airport 'sky high' was charged under the Communications Act 2003. Earlier this month, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling revealed to The Mail on Sunday that the maximum six month sentence for internet abuse will be quadrupled . The tougher new legislation is already being dubbed ‘Chloe’s Law’ after Miss Madeley's public stance against the disturbing messages. Her comments provoked a storm on social media sites, with campaigners accusing her of perpetuating harmful myths about rape. Finnigan apologised several times for causing offence, insisting that rape was 'an appalling crime', and saying she was merely discussing 'the legal facts of the case'. But the trolls merely turned on her daughter, with one saying: 'Judy's given me her blessing to rape you.' Another tweet, directed at her mother, said: 'Hope you discover first hand what rape is like you idiot.' In a message put up via Twitter, Chloe said: 'My mother was voicing an opinion on the matter of criminals being accepted back into society. 'The comments she made on the case in question were facts, so not opinions. 'While it may anger some that the term "non-violent rape" exists, unfortunately it does. 'Referencing it and explaining why that was the charge does not mean that you think this category of rape is acceptable. 'To believe that my mother is pro "non-violent rape" is ridiculous and I am shocked that many people have jumped to this conclusion. 'To the trolls wishing rape on me, stop, you are utterly pathetic.' At the time, Madeley used Twitter to warn the trolls he would go to police, saying: ''I have noted every sick troll threat. 'Do they really think it's ok to wish/threaten rape on a woman?  They're in deep trouble, trust me.' He added: 'Trolls who sent sick rape threats?  Prosecution awaits you.' A Scotland Yard spokesman said today: 'An allegation of harassment was made to Barnet police relating to messages received via a social media site. Targeted: Stella Creasy MP, left, and historian Mary Beard, right, have both been victims of online trolling . 'A criminal investigation has commenced.  There are no arrests at this stage but enquiries continue.' Last month Peter Nunn, a 33-year-old delivery driver from Bristol, was jailed for 18 weeks for using Twitter to threaten to rape Labour MP Stella Creasy in response to her backing of a campaign to put Jane Austen on the £10 note. Historian Mary Beard was trolled after she appeared on television, with one troll, Cambridge student Oliver Rawlings, 20, calling her a 'filthy old slut'. She later accepted his invitation to lunch to apologise, and said afterwards: 'He is going to find it hard to get a job, because as soon as you Google his name, that is what comes up.' Rape in Britain is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force a decade ago, replacing and refining previous legislation. One of the key changes under the new Act was to define consent.  A person consents if they agree to have sex by choice, and if they have the freedom and capacity to make that choice. Therefore in a situation where a victim had sex when they were incapacitated by drink, the law would say that they did not have the freedom or capacity to make the choice, ie did not consent. The law does not require the victim to have physically resisted in order to prove a lack of consent. Source:rapecrisis.org.uk .
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have  made a over 'a substantial amount of evidence' to the police. a week after their 27-year-old daughter was threatened with rape on Twitter after she Madeley, left, and Finnigan have complained to appeared to defend rapist Ched Evans, right, on complaint to the Metropolitan Police about cyber-stalking, harassment and, most recently, rape threats made against Chloe on Twitter. 'We amount of evidence, and they have launched an when Finnigan, 66, appeared on ITV's Loose Women jailed for inciting riots last summer were found