Women’s Football: Racial Harassment Charge Dismissed
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Sam Kerr, Chelsea FC women’s team striker, has been found not guilty, on 11 February 2025, by an English Court of a charge of causing racially aggravated harassment after calling a police officer “stupid and white”.
Kerr, who is 31 years old and also the captain of the Australian Women’s National Football Team, denied that her words amounted to a racial criminal offence.
The Court case arose in the following circumstances.
She had been out drinking on 30 January 2023 with her fiancée, Kristie Mewis, when they were driven by a taxi driver to a local Police Station after refusing to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and had smashed the rear window of the taxi. At the Police Station Kerr claimed that she was antagonised by the police officer concerned. She further claimed that she did not use “whiteness” as an insult and that she believed it was the police officer who was “using his power over me because he was accusing me of being something I’m not.”
After four hours of deliberation, the jury agreed and acquitted her of the alleged offence.
Following this verdict, Kerr stated that:
“While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed.”
And she added that:
“I can now put this challenging period behind me.”
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
