"I would suggest that any witness who is homeless and drug addicted, regardless of race, sex or ethnicity, is going to be seen as a risk for non-appearance."

Rather than demur on the matter, do you or don't you think the treatment the woman received was justified?

In your experience, or knowledge, have you ever heard of a witness being jailed in order to ensure her appearance at a preliminary hearing? How about forcing that witness to appear in court in leg shackles?

There's many possibilities for why the aboriginal woman received the treatment she did. All of them should be considered. However, whether or not race played a part in it should be examined especially carefully. It's a violation of the most fundamental law of the land to discriminate against people on that basis.