A well-known anti-vaccine activist from Adelaide, Raina Cruise, has been sentenced to prison following an appeal by prosecutors to overturn her earlier controversial suspended sentence. In December 2021, Cruise was convicted for a violent attack on pregnant police officer Anthea Beck, during which Beck suffered severe injuries, including a significant amount of hair and scalp being torn from her head. The incident was recorded on police body cameras.
Initially, Cruise had received a suspended sentence, which prompted an immediate call for an appeal from the Police Association. On the latest court ruling, Cruise was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. Attorney-General Kyam Maher emphasised that this case serves as a stern warning that assaults on police will lead to incarceration.
Cruise’s defence lawyer, Nick Vadasz, expressed that his client was likely to be “upset and distressed” by the sentence, which she did not anticipate. However, there is a possibility for her to apply for parole in two years.