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Doha: Qatari women travelers were forced to undergo a gynecological examination after a premature baby was found abandoned in a bathroom at Doha International Airport, in measures described by the Australian government as “extremely disturbing” and “degrading”. .
Qatari security escorted an unknown number of women, some of them from Australia, from planes on the airport runway to ambulances, where they were examined for signs of recent birth, after finding the girl in a bathroom in the Hamad International Airport in the capital of Qatar.
On Monday, the Australian government condemned the October 2 incident, which was made public after several Australian passengers recounted what had happened. The government assured that its concern was communicated to the Qatari authorities.
Chancellor: “These are very worrying facts.”
“These are very disturbing events … and offensive,” said Secretary of State Maryse Payne. “I’ve never heard of something like this in my life.”
“We have clearly communicated our concerns to the Qatari authorities at this stage,” he said, adding that the matter had also been referred to the Australian Federal Police.
A source in Doha familiar with the incident told AFP that officials “forced the women to undergo meticulous physical inspections … for a forced cervical exam.”
Passengers traveling to Aden on the plane we were traveling on and departing from Doha to Sydney are in a state of “tremendous shock,” traveler Wolfgang Babeck told AFP after asking them to remove their bottom clothing for an examination. by a gynecologist.
“Everyone was upset, some very angry and one was crying, but all did not believe what happened,” said this lawyer, who expressed his belief that the incident may represent a “violation of international law.”
The matter caused a four-hour delay for Qatar Airways flight QR908 to take off for Sydney, according to Flightradar, the aircraft movement monitoring website.
Authorities at Hamad International Airport in Doha did not deny the incident, but did not announce details about the procedures or the number of women and flights involved.
According to a statement from the Hamad International Airport in Doha, medical professionals have expressed concern about the health condition of a woman who has just given birth and have demanded to find her before leaving.
The statement added that “the people who were in the area where the newborn was found at the airport were asked to collaborate in the investigations.”
In addition to the Australian women, the incident is also believed to have affected a French woman, according to an official.
Some women received help and psychological support during their two-week quarantine period, under measures imposed by the Australian authorities to limit the outbreak of the new Corona virus.
Payne said that a report from the Qatari authorities on the crash was “imminent”, confirming that Australian authorities had been informed of the incident by the passengers “at the time of the flight”.
The incident could damage the reputation of Qatar, which is preparing to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the influx of thousands of foreign visitors to its lands.
On Sunday night, the Doha airport issued a call requesting the boy’s mother to contact her authorities, stating that the inspection carried out did not yield conclusive results.
The airport statement indicated that the identity of the newborn is not yet known, but that he is receiving care from medical and social personnel, calling all people with information about the incident to contact the authorities.
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