The court found Australian soccer star Sam Kerr not guilty of racially abusing a British police officer. The incident happened two years ago after a disagreement with a taxi driver. Kerr is the captain of Australia’s women’s soccer team and plays for Chelsea.
The Incident
Kerr had been out for the evening with her partner, Kristie Mewis. They got into a taxi to go home, but the driver took them to a police station. Kerr explained that she had felt sick and spat out of the window. This is when the driver started acting strangely, leading to the incident involving the Sam Kerr trial verdict. Kerr and Mewis felt like they were being held hostage. Mewis even kicked the back window of the taxi to try and escape. When they arrived at the police station, Kerr called the officer, Stephen Lovell, “foolish and white.”
The Trial
Kerr admitted to saying those words but said she did not mean them as a racial insult. She said the police upset her and treated her differently because of her skin color. Kerr’s lawyer said her words were about power, not race. The Sam Kerr trial verdict rested on determining the intent behind her words.
The Verdict
The jury decided that Kerr was not guilty of racially aggravated harassment. This means they believed she did not intend to be racist. Kerr said she was sorry for how she acted that night. The Sam Kerr trial verdict provided relief to Kerr as the jury believed her.
Support for Kerr
Many people supported Kerr during the trial. The Australian Sports Minister said that the whole country was behind her. A famous human rights lawyer even said the case should not have gone to court. People celebrated the Sam Kerr trial verdict, supporting her innocence.
