On October 2, all adult women, including 13 Australian citizens, on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Sydney were ordered to disembark and strip naked for a medical examination. Airport authorities were trying to locate a woman who had recently given birth after an abandoned newborn was found in one of the toilets.
Australian authorities have described the actions of Doha’s Hamad Airport management as “unprecedented and offensive”. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was extremely concerned by reports of the incident at the Qatar airport. The child is alive and safe, the person who left him at the airport is still unknown.
In Australia, passengers on the flight were required to undergo a 14-day isolation period, after which two passengers recounted their misadventures in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The scandal erupted after their statements.
Another passenger, Kim Mills, told the Guardian newspaper that she was taken to an unlit parking lot near the airfield where three ambulances were parked for medical examinations. According to Mills, she was exempted from the procedure, probably because she is over 60. However, the woman says it was extremely uncomfortable, and what upset Mills the most was that neither she nor anyone else was told what was happening. “My legs were shaking with fear. I thought I was being taken somewhere,” she said.
During the flight, the flight attendants told Mills that the crew was not given any explanation when the flight was delayed and the passengers were removed from the plane. “It was just horrible. I cannot even imagine what those poor young girls went through,” she concluded.
One of the passengers, Wolfgang Babek, told ABC that the women returned to the cabin clearly shocked and upset, and one girl was crying. The Qatari government has not yet commented on the incident. It is unknown whether passengers on other flights were subjected to a similar request.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne described the case of the search of women in Doha as an unprecedented and offensive situation. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The number of episodes should remain the same.
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The airport authorities released a statement: “Medical professionals have expressed concern for the health and well-being of the mother, who has just given birth, and have asked authorities to establish her identity prior to departure. People who had access to the area of the airport where the baby was found have been asked to assist with the investigation.”
The passengers unanimously claim that no one asked them anything and did not ask for their consent to be searched. “This is an unprecedented case. I have never heard of anything like this in my life,” said Merys Payne.
In response to journalists’ questions, the minister said she didn’t see any reason to consider what happened sexual assault, but that it was undoubtedly extremely offensive behavior. According to her, the Australian authorities were aware of the incident from the moment the flight arrived from Doha and the passengers, who were in quarantine, received the necessary support. “The government will determine the next steps after receiving explanations from representatives of Qatar.”
Meanwhile, the mother of the abandoned baby has still not been found. Authorities have urged her to come forward voluntarily and are asking for the cooperation of anyone with information about the case.