Anti-Vaccine Protester and Failed Senate Candidate Found Guilty of Assaulting Police Officer

Raina Jane Cruise, known for her anti-vaccine activism and unsuccessful bid for a Senate seat, was declared guilty of assaulting a female police officer by District Court Judge Jo-Anne Deuter. The incident unfolded in 2021 in Adelaide's CBD, where Cruise's aggressive actions resulted in the officer suffering hair loss and facial injuries during an altercation at the Exeter Hotel on Rundle Street. Constable Anthea Beck, along with a fellow officer, was responding to a disturbance involving a group of individuals and security personnel when the confrontation with Cruise occurred.

During the trial, it was revealed that Cruise had already admitted to committing two counts of aggravated assault against security guards prior to the attack on the police officer. Despite Cruise's claims of an unlawful arrest, Judge Deuter dismissed this argument, highlighting Constable Beck's efforts to explain the reasons behind the arrest, which stemmed from Cruise's failure to provide identification. The court was shown CCTV footage of the incident, where Cruise can be seen aggressively engaging with Constable Beck, resulting in a physical altercation within a matter of seconds as Cruise pulled the officer's hair and attempted to bring her down.

In response to Prosecutor Greg Dudzinski's request to have Cruise's bail revoked due to her history of violent offenses, including a previous assault on a police officer, Cruise's lawyer, Andrew Graham, argued for a adjournment to procure a psychological report, citing personal tragedies in Cruise's life such as the loss of a child and a husband. Despite these arguments, Judge Deuter decided to keep Cruise on bail until a future court date, where her sentencing will be determined. It is important to note that Cruise's background in anti-vaccine activism and political aspirations were also highlighted during the proceedings.