Woman behind bars after nurse spat on in Adelaide CBD
A woman is behind bars after allegedly spitting on a nurse walking through the CBD in her scrubs, in an attack condemned by the Police Commissioner as “abhorrent”.
Police & Courts
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The Police Commissioner has blasted a spitting attack on a nurse wearing her scrubs in the CBD on Tuesday morning as “completely abhorrent”.
A woman is behind bars after she allegedly spat a drink on the nurse, who was wearing blue scrubs, as she walked on Hindley St near King William St just before 7.30am.
The nurse was not physically injured.
Officers arrested the 42-year-old woman, of no fixed address, after the incident was reported to the Hindley St police station.
She was charged with assault on a prescribed emergency worker and failing to state particulars.
She appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon and did not apply for bail.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens slammed the attack.
“These types of behaviours are completely abhorrent and shouldn’t be occurring and we are resolute in taking action against any incidents where emergency services workers, including health workers, are assaulted in this way,” he said.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Adj Assoc Professor Elizabeth Dabars was appalled by the alleged incident, noting it is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
It also again raised the issue of safe and secure parking for health workers on shift work, she said.
“At all times, nurses and midwives deserve to be valued and respected, not spat on and abused,” she said.
“Nurses, midwives and other health professionals come to work every day to provide care for our community. In our current environment, in which our awareness of the risk of communicable disease transmission in the form of COVID-19 is greatly heightened, spitting on another person is particularly abhorrent.
“It is unacceptable for a nurse to be assaulted on their way to work, or at any other time. It essential that the fullest extent of the law is applied. Deterrence is important to prevent future acts of violence against our hard working and dedicated health professionals.
“We condemn any acts of violence and aggression against our hardworking and dedicated nurses, midwives and other health professionals.
“We have advocated for aggravated offences to ensure that acts of aggression against health professionals result in higher penalties. These laws need to be applied in order to bring about this deterrent effect.”
Ms Dabars noted that as part of efforts to keep the health workforce safe and supported, the federation has advocated for free parking within secure hospital car parks during the coronavirus period.
“We know the Government has gone part-way to this by offering a rebate to health workers during the period,” she said.
“We will continue to advocate for safe and accessible carparking and safe working environments, which necessarily includes safely getting to and from work.”
