Football star Sam Kerr was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment after calling a police officer offensive names in a January 2023 incident. A leading human rights lawyer has criticized the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing the case to trial, arguing it was an 'attack on free speech' and a misuse of resources. The case sparked debate about free speech and the handling of sensitive incidents by law enforcement.
Sam Kerr was this week found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment over an incident in January 2023. The footballer was accused of calling a Metropolitan police officer 'fucking stupid and white' after officers doubted her claims of being 'held hostage' in a taxi. Following the verdict, Geoffrey Robertson KC, a leading human rights lawyer, called for an investigation into the Crown Prosecution Service's handling of the case, labeling it an 'attack on free speech '.
Robertson argued that there was no public interest in charging Kerr, especially 'at this time when the criminal justice system is in chaos'. The CPS initially decided against charging Kerr due to insufficient evidence. It went ahead with the charge nearly a year after the incident when a second statement was submitted by PC Stephen Lovell, the officer at the center of the allegations. In his initial statement, Lovell did not mention being upset by being called 'stupid and white'. However, in his second statement, he said Kerr's comments left him 'shocked, upset and humiliated'. Kerr's legal team attempted to get the case thrown out at a preliminary hearing in January, arguing there had been an abuse of process by crown prosecutors. Kerr's lawyer, Grace Forbes, claimed the CPS had violated its own guidance, adding that a 'loophole' in the victims' right of review scheme was used to justify prosecution proceedings a year after the alleged offence. The judge refused Forbes' attempt. Robertson stated that 'no one in their right mind' would think Kerr's comments 'justified a prison sentence', emphasizing that the CPS's role is not to determine guilt but to make fair and objective assessments about whether charges are appropriate for a jury to consider. He added that the CPS respects the jury's decision.
SAM KERR RACIAL HARASSMENT FOOTBALL CPS CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE FREE SPEECH POLICE
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