Lawyers representing Sam Kerr are requesting to have a charge of harassment dismissed from the court proceedings.

In April, lawyers representing Matildas captain Sam Kerr will seek to dismiss a criminal charge of racially aggravated harassment in a UK court.

On Monday, a 30-year-old person was in Kingston Crown Court facing allegations of using offensive, menacing, or aggressive language that caused a police officer to feel alarmed or distressed in January 2023.

The scheduled duration of the trial is four days in February 2025, which is over two years after the supposed violation.

If Kerr’s attorneys are able to get the charge reduced or dropped, she may avoid standing trial.

According to several media reports, Kerr’s legal team has filed documents claiming an abuse of process by the prosecutors. On Monday, she pled not guilty.

The court hearing scheduled for 26 April will address these arguments.

The accusation against Kerr is regarding an occurrence with a law enforcement officer who was addressing a report about a fare dispute with a cab on January 30th of the previous year.

The Metropolitan police stated that she was charged on January 21st of this year, almost a year after the alleged crime occurred.

If a harassment offence is racially aggravated, a conviction in the UK can result in a sentence of up to two years.

As of now, Kerr has not responded to the accusation. Football Australia stated that they became aware of it through media reports on Tuesday morning.

James Johnson, the chief executive of the FA, stated that he was not given any advance notice.

I, along with many others, woke up this morning and learned of the news. This caused unease within Football Australia.

Tony Gustavsson, the coach of the Matildas, also informed the media that he was not aware of Kerr’s recent court hearing.

Neither of them could determine at this point whether the issue would affect the 30-year-old’s role as captain of the Australian team.

Johnson noted that Sam should be granted the rights of an individual and that we should acknowledge and honor her plea of not guilty.

Chelsea, the club owned by Kerr, has not yet responded to the accusation.

In January, Kerr sustained a knee injury and is anticipated to be absent for a significant portion of 2024.

The Matildas secured their spot in the Olympics by defeating Uzbekistan last week. They have three upcoming exhibition matches, including games in Adelaide and Sydney, in the next few months.

Source: theguardian.com