A pregnant Aboriginal woman was arrested and locked up because she was too sick to attend a court hearing where she was set to give evidence against her former partner.

Kearah Ronan, the 2017 Miss NAIDOC winner, has revealed how she was left crying and humiliated when she was forced to spend a night in Perth Watch House after she was arrested for “failing to obey a witness summons” even though she had informed the court she was unwell.

Camera Icon Kearah Ronan at Crown Ballroom. Credit: The West Australian

The 26-year-old, who is six months pregnant, also had to strip naked in front of two female police officers after her arrest. Ms Ronan is the maternal cousin of Ms Dhu, a 22-year-old Aboriginal woman who died in police custody in 2014 from domestic violence injuries after she was arrested for unpaid fines.

Ms Ronan told The Weekend West she had chosen to speak out about the shocking case because she wanted to highlight the mistreatment of Aboriginal women and victims by the justice system.

It comes as WA Attorney-General John Quigley has ordered the Commissioner for Victims of Crime to investigate the case and last night vowed to “do everything in his power” to ensure something similar never happens again.

Ms Ronan had been set to give evidence at Midland Magistrates court on January 21 against her former partner who had been charged with assaulting her, but she called the court registry to let them know she had been sick and was unable to attend.

Ms Ronan said she had offered to provide a medical certificate but was told it wasn’t needed and that the next court date would be in October. Unbeknownst to Ms Ronan, the Magistrate ordered an arrest warrant against her for failing to appear in court after it was requested by the police prosecutor.

When Ms Ronan found out about the arrest warrant on May 3, after her mother was stopped by police, she immediately went to Kiara police station.

Camera Icon Attorney General John Quigley. Credit: The West Australian

“I just thought it was bizarre, I thought it was a misunderstanding (and) perhaps they’ve got my name mixed up,” Ms Ronan said. “I went down to the station and (police said) it was a legal binding document and they had no other choice to place me under arrest until I could go to court, which was the next day.”

Ms Ronan, who also has a four-year-old daughter, said the experience was terrifying.

“I literally cried from beginning to end,” she said. “I had to undergo every process that a criminal in that circumstance would have to go through. I was subjected to a strip-search, so I had to strip naked in front of two female officers.

“You think you’d have all the support from the judicial system, and to be treated like that, that’s scary. How many other women has this happened to?

“I would like to see more protections for (witnesses) like the use of video evidence and not having to confront their (alleged) abuser in court.”

Ms Ronan, a Yamatji woman who is studying education at university, said she had been concerned about the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the jail system since the death of her cousin Ms Dhu.

“That had a huge impact on our family, and the level of fear and the impact that it had in regards to police treatment to Aboriginal people,” she said.

Camera Icon South Hedland resident Ms Dhu. Credit: Facebook

Ms Ronan’s lawyer, George Newhouse, told The West Australian that Mr Quigley needed to take urgent steps to ensure no victim of gender-based violence ever has to experience a night in a police lock-up again.

“There needs to be substantial checks on the prosecutors who ask for these kinds of warrants and there should be strict protocols that magistrates must consider before they issue them,” Adjunct Professor Newhouse said.

Mr Quigley, who met with Ms Ronan last week, said he was “appalled and deeply upset” by the case.

“When she appeared in court the next day, the magistrate quite rightly said sorry to her,” Mr Quigley said.

“I invited her into my office and apologised to her in person and I do so publicly.

“Ms Ronan is a role model in her community and a first cousin of Ms Dhu, whose tragic death in custody haunts us all. I have asked the Commissioner for Victims of Crime to report to me about what changes can be made.”

A WA Police spokesman defended the arrest, saying: “Where a person fails to respond to a summons an arrest warrant may be issued by the courts to bring them before the court.

“In this instance, the investigating officer endeavoured to contact the witness to remind her to attend court, with a male person answering her phone and this male refused to assist police, intimating her non-attendance in court.”

Camera Icon Kearah Ronan and Simone Narkle at the Miss NAIDOC Perth Gala in 2017. Credit: The West Australian

He said she had to spend the night at Perth Watch House because no court was available.

“Police are concerned that a pregnant woman was forced to spend the night in the Perth Watch House and would prefer to have access to an available court.”

Adjunct Professor Newhouse said he was concerned about the statement by WA Police.

“Their failure to show compassion for a woman of Kearah’s situation indicates this could happen again.”

If you or someone you know is impacted by domestic violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.