Australian Football Star Sam Kerr Acquitted of Racially Abusing British Police Officer
Australian women’s football captain Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment against a British police officer, Al Jazeera reports.
The verdict was delivered on Tuesday at Kingston Crown Court after a trial stemming from an incident in January 2023.
The charges arose from a dispute with a cab driver in the early hours of January 30, 2023, which led to police being called. Kerr, 31, a star striker for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League (WSL), admitted to calling officer Stephen Lovell “stupid and white” during the encounter.
While Kerr, who has Indian ancestry, admitted to making the remarks, she denied that they constituted racially aggravated harassment. Her defense lawyer argued in court that the comments were related to issues of power and privilege. Kerr herself testified last week that she felt she was treated differently by police due to her skin color.
The jury acquitted Kerr on Tuesday after deliberating on the evidence presented. Kerr, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s top female football players, showed no visible emotion as the verdict was announced.
