Sam Kerr pleads not guilty to racially aggravated offence
Australian footballer Sam Kerr will face trial after being charged with racially aggravated harassment of a London police officer.
The Matildas star plays for English club Chelsea. She has pleaded not guilty to an offence at a court hearing on Monday.
Kerr, 30, is set to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on 1 February 2025.
The charges relate to an incident in January 2023.
“The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.
She was charged on 21 January “with a racially aggravated offence under Section 4A [of the] Public Order Act 1986”, they added.
However, Kerr denied the charge at a plea and trial preparation hearing at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court on Monday.
Kerr is currently sidelined from the game, having suffered an ACL injury.
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Speaking to media in Adelaide on Tuesday, Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said the federation had learned of the “very serious allegations” in the news that morning.
“There is no place for racism in our sport,” he said.
“At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she has to work through and we will respect that.”
Asked if Kerr – arguably Australia’s biggest sports star – should be stood down as the national team’s captain until the court case has played out, Mr Johnson said the governing body needed to “establish the facts” before deciding its “next step”.
“We are trying to get to the bottom of it at the moment… we’ve got to find out what actually happened.”
“I haven’t spoken to Sam other than a text message to check in on her wellbeing.”
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson told reporters in Sydney that he was “surprised” by the allegations but couldn’t say anything further.
“The only thing I can comment is my experience and interaction with Sam as a person and as a footballer, and I have only positive experience with that,” he said.