Sam Kerr’s parents, Roger and Roxanne, have spoken to media after the Matildas star was cleared of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer following an incident in a taxi in London in January 2023.
The 31-year-old’s high-profile court case has caught the attention of many commentators both in the UK and in Australia over the past two weeks, with questions mounting over Kerr’s future.
Kerr’s parents, who travelled to London to support their daughter during the court case, spoke to reporters outside their home.
‘We’re happy the court case is all done and dusted and it’s now behind her,’ Roxanne told NewsWire.
‘Sam felt supported throughout the trial.’
Following a night out in London, Kerr is understood to have vomited while inside the back of a taxi. But after a disagreement over a clean-up charge, the driver of the vehicle drove her and her fiancée Kristie Mewis, who is expecting the couple’s first child this year, to Twickenham Police station.
Sam Kerr’s parents, Roger and Roxanne, have spoken to media for the first time since their daughter’s trial
Roxanne said she is happy that the court case is over and behind Sam now
The pair said they had feared that the driver of the cab was kidnapping them with Mewis, who plays for West Ham and the USA, kicking out a window inside the cab.
In the police station, Kerr was involved in a heated argument with PC Stephen Lovell, which was captured on body camera footage. During the clip which was shown to the court, the Chelsea forward is heard calling the officer ‘stupid and white’.
Kerr has since apologised for the incident and insisted she had not meant to cause offence or upset.
‘Following the not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me,’ the Chelsea star said.
‘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 the jury unanimously agreed.’
Despite the not guilty verdict, calls have come for Kerr to be stripped of the Matildas captaincy from the likes of football commentator Lucy Zelic and ex-Socceroo Bruce Djite.
Football Australia are yet to confirm if Kerr will remain on as skipper, as she continues to recover from an ACL injury sustained at a Chelsea training camp in January last year.
On Thursday, Interim Matildas coach Tom Sermanni lost his cool after being peppered with questions about the matter.
Kerr, 31, was found not guilty of racially aggravated abuse after calling a police officer ‘stupid and white’ during a heated row at a London police station in January of 2023
Questions remain about Kerr’s position in the Matildas following the court case
‘The most important part is we get Sam healthy as quickly and as safely as possible, and get her back on the field,’ he said on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s SheBelieves Cup opener against Japan.
‘To be honest, and particularly in relation to me, the captaincy issue is kind of quite irrelevant, because by the time she comes back into the team I might not be here.
‘So there’s really no point in me commenting on that … really, from my perspective, from the team’s perspective, it’s something that’s really not that relevant at the moment.
‘And to be honest Steph Catley’s stepped in as captain and done a fantastic job. So for us it’s just getting on, getting prepared for this tournament this week, and again looking forward to 2026.’
Sermanni confirmed he and Kerr had been in touch via text since her trial finished.
But he was clearly frustrated after multiple questions regarding the captaincy, including whether he would be comfortable with Kerr retaining the role.
‘How that decision gets made, who makes it, and who’s all involved in it, I really don’t know at the moment because it’s really completely and utterly not part of our focus. Because at this minute in time, Sam is injured,’ he said.
‘She’s been injured for 13 months, hasn’t played an international for 16 months, and the team is just getting on with its normal business.
‘So it’s not part of the conversation. When and if it does become part of the conversation, then I’ll know more about how that process works.’
