The Wire

Last month, pregnant Yamatji woman Kearah Ronan was arrested, strip-searched and incarcerated in a Perth Police Watch House after she failed to attend a witness summons due to illness, and now a lawyer wants changes in house bench warrants are handed out.

Ms Ronan, who was 6 months pregnant at the time, alleged she contacted the court to make them aware she was too ill to attend court where she was due to give witness testimony against an allegedly abusive partner. She later discovered a warrant was out for her arrest for failing to obey a witness summons and despite turning herself in to the police she was imprisoned.