- Women on a flight from Qatar to Australia say they underwent invasive internal exams after airport staff discovered a newborn baby in a terminal bathroom, according to the BBC.
- The women, including 13 Australians, were removed from their flight and brought to an ambulance, where they had to remove their underwear and undergo an examination, the BBC reported.
- The Australian government has condemned the reported actions, saying it is “deeply concerned at the unacceptable treatment of some female passengers on a recent Qatar Airways flight at Doha Airport,” according to the Guardian.
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Women on a flight from Qatar to Australia say they underwent invasive internal exams after airport staff discovered a newborn baby in a terminal bathroom, according to the BBC.
On October 2, the women, including 13 Australians, were reportedly removed from their Qatar Airways flight and brought to an ambulance, where they had to remove their underwear and undergo an examination, the BBC reported.
Doha airport staff were apparently trying to determine if any of the women had just given birth to a baby that was found in a bathroom stall. The child has not been identified, nor has the mother been located, the BBC reported.
Officials at the Doha International Airport did not deny the reports, stating that they asked the women to cooperate in the search and that they are still trying to locate the baby’s mother, AFP reported.
The Australian government has condemned the searches, saying it is “deeply concerned at the unacceptable treatment of some female passengers on a recent Qatar Airways flight at Doha Airport,” according to the Guardian.
"The advice that has been provided indicates that the treatment of the women concerned was offensive, grossly inappropriate, and beyond circumstances in which the women could give free and informed consent," a spokesperson for Australia's foreign affairs minister said, the Guardian reported.
The spokesperson also said the Australian government had been in contact with officials in Qatar to discuss their concerns.