Australian and Chelsea footballer Sam Kerr is set to go to court in the UK for allegedly committing racially motivated harassment against a police officer.
On Monday, a 30-year-old individual was brought before the court for allegedly using offensive, menacing, or confrontational language towards a police officer who was addressing a complaint about a taxi fare in Twickenham, a neighborhood in the south-west of London, on January 30th, 2023.
According to the Daily Mail, Kerr appeared via video at Kingston Crown Court and spoke only to confirm her name and enter a plea of not guilty for the charge.
The Metropolitan police issued a statement announcing that Samantha Kerr, 30, from Richmond, has been charged with a racially aggravated offense under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986. The charge was made through a postal charge requisition on January 21.
“The charge pertains to an occurrence that involved a law enforcement officer attending to a report regarding a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham.”
Next February, Kerr will head to trial with two police officers set to testify. The proceedings are expected to continue for four days.
Football Australia has acknowledged the legal proceedings involving Sam Kerr in the United Kingdom, according to a statement released.
“Due to the current legal proceedings, we are unable to give any additional statements at this moment,” the statement continued. “Our main priority is to assist and guide our players, both on and off the field. We will keep a close eye on the situation and offer support as needed.”
As the leader of Australia’s team, the forward is one of the most renowned athletes in the country, especially after the Matildas’ impressive performance in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last year.
In May, the soccer player held her nation’s banner during the coronation of King Charles at Westminster Abbey.
In the previous month, it was confirmed that Kerr had renewed her contract with Chelsea, the current champions of the Women’s Super League. However, due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained during a mid-season training camp in Morocco, she will be unable to play for the rest of the current season.
Kerr became a member of Chelsea in the middle of the 2019-20 season and has successfully scored 99 goals in 128 games for the team.
She has achieved the Golden Boot award twice, came in second place to Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last year, and placed second on the Guardian’s ranking of the top 100 women’s football players in 2023, following third and third places in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Source: theguardian.com
