The woman disappeared at the end of July along with her seven-year-old child. CBC News is not naming her because of a ban on publishing information that could identify her child. Her truck and other personal belongings were found in Chief Whitecap Park, near the South Saskatchewan River near Saskatoon, on July 25. Police and community members searched extensively for the mother and son. But the woman and her child were found safe in Oregon City, Oregon on August 5 and he was arrested. The child was returned to Saskatoon by a legal guardian a short time later. Ahead of her first court appearance on Monday, her supporters held a rally in front of the court. They held signs of support and shared songs. They also reiterated their belief that the woman should be released on bail. Crown prosecutor Tyla Olenchuk said Monday that the Crown opposes the woman’s release. He said he will explain why at a bail hearing scheduled for Friday afternoon. The hearing is expected to last several hours. The woman’s family and friends were not happy that the Crown is opposed to her release. “We are really disappointed, upset and angry at the way the Crown prosecutor is treating our sister,” the defendant’s sister said after appearing in court. “She’s not a danger to society, she’s an indigenous woman. She’s a mother who wants to be with her son.” Attorney Chris Murphy leaves Monday after a court appearance by his client, not pictured, who is accused of kidnapping her child. (The Canadian Press/Liam Richards) The woman has previously made allegations of domestic violence against the boy’s father. Police said the allegations were investigated and no evidence was found to support them. Olenchuk is also seeking a no-contact order from the court to prevent the woman from contacting her child or her ex, the boy’s father. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), a group representing First Nations in Saskatchewan, has called for the woman’s release and an investigation into police handling of her allegations of domestic violence. The woman has previously said she was left with “no choice” but to leave the city with her son. He will be represented by one of Canada’s best-known defense lawyers, Marie Henein. Henein is known for many high-profile cases, defending the likes of Michael Bryant, Vice Admiral Mark Norman and Jian Ghomeshi. Henein was not in Saskatoon on Monday, but local Chris Murphy acted as her agent. He told the court they were not happy with the way the woman was treated while she was with Saskatoon police. At about 4 p.m. CST on Friday, the woman was transferred to Saskatoon police after spending about weeks in US federal custody and then in RCMP custody in B.C. Murphy said the woman spent three nights in a small cell, sleeping on a concrete slab without a mattress, pillow or blanket. She said she was not given toothpaste or a toothbrush. Prosecutor Olenchuk said the woman will be sent to Pine Grove Correctional Facility in Prince Albert, Sask., to await a bail hearing. He also faces charges in the US related to allegedly using false documents to cross the border. US prosecutors previously said in a request to hold her pending trial that the woman planned to fake her own death long before she disappeared. Additional charges could be laid in her case as the investigation into the events surrounding her disappearance continues, Saskatoon police say. The defendant is an accomplished author and was also the executive officer of the FSIN. When asked if FSIN would pay for the woman’s legal fees, vice president Heather Bear said it would if it had the money, but referred to a GoFundMe campaign set up to help with legal fees. That GoFundMe had raised more than $30,000 in donations as of Monday afternoon.
