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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement that it had expressed « serious concerns about the incident with Qatari authorities »
The federal government is « deeply concerned » by the « manifestly inappropriate » treatment of female passengers, including 13 Australians, who were subjected to invasive searches at a Doha airport after a premature baby was found abandoned in a bathroom
Security escorted an undisclosed number of women from a plane on the tarmac at Hamad International Airport to ambulances, where they were examined for signs of their recent childbirth
« (Officials) were forcing women to undergo invasive body searches – mostly forced Pap smears, » a source in Doha with knowledge of the incident told AFP, referring to an internal examination of the cervix uterus
The incident, first reported by Seven News, happened on October 2 and came to light after a number of affected Australian passengers spoke out
Seven News said the baby is dead, but a Hamad Airport statement released by ABC said that while the baby’s mother was not found, the baby itself was safe
« For now, the newborn remains unidentified, but it is safe under the professional care of medical and social workers, » the statement said
In a statement on Monday morning, the Foreign Affairs and Trade Department criticized the handling of the incident and said it had raised « serious concerns » to Qatari authorities
« The Australian government is deeply concerned about the unacceptable treatment of some female passengers on a recent Qatar Airways flight to Doha airport, » the statement said
« The Australian government is deeply concerned about the unacceptable treatment of some female passengers on a recent Qatar Airways flight to Doha Airport » 1/3 #auspol @SBSNews
« The advice that was provided indicates that the treatment of the women concerned was offensive, manifestly inappropriate and beyond the circumstances under which women could give their free and informed consent »
« The government has officially expressed its serious concerns about this incident to the Qatari authorities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is engaged on this issue through diplomatic channels »
One of the affected flights, Qatar Airways flight QR908 from October 2 to Sydney, was four hours late from Doha following the incident, according to specialist air traffic website Flightradar24
Women from several other countries and flights have reportedly been affected, but the extent of the incident is not yet known
Qatar’s foreign minister is expected to write to his Australian counterpart about the incident this week
Qatar applies a strict form of Islamic law, with severe penalties applied to women who become pregnant or have children out of wedlock
The coronavirus pandemic has wiped out the long-haul operations of many airlines, including those of Australia’s national carrier Qantas, while Qatar Airways has continued to operate several of its routes despite declining demand
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Qatar Airways, Australia, former Doha international airport
World news – AU – Australia denounces ‘manifestly inappropriate’ search for women at Doha airport after finding a newborn baby in the bathroom
