Pregnant SA Police officer reveals impact of violent attack by anti-vaxxer in emotional District Court statement
A South Australian police officer attacked by an anti-vaxxer has revealed in court she was pregnant at the time of the assault.
Her assailant, mother of three Raina Cruise, 41, returned to the District Court on Monday to hear victim impact statements from Constable Anthea Beck, whom she attacked in 2021.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Anti-vaxxer attacks pregnant police officer.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Cruise was found guilty of intentionally causing harm to an emergency service worker in a judge-alone trial earlier this year.
She pleaded guilty to aggravated assaults of two security officers on Rundle St the same night.
Beck told the court she didn’t know at the time, but she was pregnant with her daughter when Cruise threw her to the ground and pulled out chunks of her hair.
She called the assault “awful” and reiterated she was “just doing her job”.
“I was tired, my back was hurting and I felt weak, I didn’t know, but I was pregnant with my daughter,” Beck said in her impact statement.
“When you kicked me, you kicked my baby. I can’t think of my pregnancy without thinking about you.
“So caught up in yourself you couldn’t see me for what I am.
“I’m a woman — a mother like you. I would’ve listened to you.”
Body camera footage of the night played during trial showed Cruise acting in an “argumentative, belligerent, obnoxious and frankly dangerous” way towards the police, prosecutors said.
The officers were investigating a group removing face masks from people at a licensed venue.
Cruise can be heard yelling, “get your filthy hand off of us” and calling Beck a “dumb b****”.
Her lawyer told the court his client had genuine concerns about vaccinations following the SIDS death of her two-month-old son in 2003, 14 hours after he had a routine vaccination.
The court heard Cruise had been diagnosed with a complex grief disorder.
Her lawyer said she became emotional upon being told Beck was pregnant at the time of the incident.
Cruise said outside court she felt “empathy” for Beck.
“Mothers care about their children, it’s awful,” she said.
Cruise will be sentenced in December.
Originally published on 7NEWS
