{"id":174327,"date":"2025-02-10T16:12:05","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T06:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=174327"},"modified":"2025-02-10T16:12:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T06:12:06","slug":"sports-minister-anika-wells-defends-australian-soccer-star-sam-kerr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=174327","title":{"rendered":"Sports Minister Anika Wells defends Australian soccer star Sam Kerr"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sports Minister Anika Wells has expressed support for Australian football star Sam Kerr as the Chelsea FC player faces trial for racial harassment charges in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high-profile trial has captured international attention after Kerr was charged with aggravated harassment following a confrontation with a police officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While refraining from commenting on the specifics of the ongoing trial, Ms Wells expressed sympathy for Kerr and her partner Kristie Mewis, claiming the Matildas star has Australia on her side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The more we find out about that incident, the more we can understand why they’ve acted the way that they have,” Ms Wells said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would never seek to interfere or comment on a court trial process whilst it’s in action. But I think… Sam certainly has Australia behind her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sports Minister Anika Wells has publicly expressed support for Australian football star Sam Kerr as the Chelsea FC player faces trial for racial harassment charges in the UK.. Picture: Jason Edwards<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kerr, who has described herself as “white-Anglo-Indian”, was accused of calling the officer \u201cf**king stupid and white\u201d during an altercation on a drunken night out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Matildas captain admitted to making the remark but has pleaded not guilty to the charges, insisting her actions stemmed from feeling mistreated by the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial has put Kerr’s career and personal life under scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kerr and Mewis have claimed they were fearful for their safety after a taxi driver attempted to kidnap them and hold them \u201chostage\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sports Minister Anika Wells has expressed support for Australian football star Sam Kerr as the Chelsea FC player faces trial for racial harassment charges in the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":18346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,999,35,1387],"tags":[15313,14036],"class_list":["post-174327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-australia-politics","category-breaking-news","category-sport","tag-anika-wells","tag-sam-kerr"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t