As any woman in the back of a locked taxi knows, Sam Kerr should never have been brought to court | Suzanne Wrack

The Matildas and Chelsea forward won’t be proud of the footage of her in a police station. But her acquittal underlines that the charges and court battle that followed were a waste of time and money

Any woman who has been sitting in a cab and reached for the handle to find the door locked and felt their muscles instinctively tense for a split second until they hear the familiar clink of the car unlocking, even though they have been safely delivered to their requested destination, will have had an opinion on Sam Kerr’s court case.

Drunk or sober, when a woman gets in a taxi at night, they are keeping a close eye on the route being taken, sharing their live location, messaging friends and/or partners and sharing trip details, watching the driver. In an Uber watching the driver go off the recommended route on your phone? Watching out the window as a driver turns off the route you know makes the most sense? Logical answers flash through your mind – there must be traffic, perhaps there’s road closures, maybe there’s been an accident – but they do not quell a rising fear that puts you on high alert.

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