The South Australian Police officer who had hair torn from her scalp by a prominent anti-vaxxer during an attack in Adelaide’s CBD has told 9News of her horrific ordeal.
In an exclusive interview, Senior Constable Anthea Beck described how the incident unfolded as she and a colleague responded to a disturbance regarding face masks at the Exeter Hotel in October 2021.
The offender, Raina Cruise, who had been vocally opposed to vaccines, set upon Beck, who was 10 weeks pregnant at the time.
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“(There was) immediate hostility, there was no lead up, there was no warning,” Beck said.
“She just reached out, knocked the hat off my head, grabbed a handful of hair and just dropped to the ground.”
Cruise was found guilty over the attack, but was initially given a suspended sentence, meaning she wasn’t required to serve time behind bars.
The Police Association immediately called on the attorney-general to appeal, and earlier this month, Cruise was re-sentenced, this time receiving three years and nine months in prison.
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“The suspended sentence was not in line with societal expectations of what happens when you assault police,” Beck said.
Following the appeal’s success and the imposition of a custodial sentence, Beck said she felt “relief and satisfaction”.
“It sends a message to the community that if you assault an emergency worker, that you can expect a custodial sentence.”
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Despite the ordeal, Beck intends to continue her career.
“Being a police officer obviously has its ups and downs, and this is just a down of (an) otherwise very fulfilling career,” she said.
“It is an ongoing journey, I hope that this sentence can have some closure to that journey.”
Beck had initially worried the stress of the attack had caused damage to her unborn child, but her little girl, Marcella, was born happy and healthy.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
