“Panic” flight … Australian passenger recounts Qatar Airways incident

An Australian woman spoke about her bitter experience, in early October, while traveling on a Qatar Airways plane between Doha and Sydney, Australia.

According to the British newspaper “The Guardian”, Kim Mills is one of nine women who were taken off the plane to be subjected to humiliating searches, nudity and examinations in Doha, as part of the search for a possible mother for an abandoned baby in the Hamad International Airport restrooms.

Qatar Airways female passengers were surprised by the assignment of ambulances at airports to screen women and make sure that one of them had recently given birth.

Mills confirmed that she was the only woman who had not been subjected to this humiliating inspection.

He added that he saw a passenger come out of the airport ambulance crying over the humiliating searches and the nudity to which she was subjected to identify the girl’s mother.

When I tried to comfort her, I asked her what had happened inside the ambulance, the passenger replied that the authorities had found a baby in the bathrooms and decided to search all the women.

She was probably the luckiest passenger, Mills added, and may have survived the search because she was 60 years old, so it seemed impossible that she would have delivered or left her baby in the bathroom.

Later, the female passengers on the Qatari plane said they had to remove their underwear to allow the inspection.

Mills was one of the first passengers to board the plane, and since his ticket was “business”, he immediately changed his clothes to fall asleep, but the plane did not take off.

He added that the captain used to come every hour to apologize for delaying takeoff, emphasizing that he was waiting for permission to do so.

He added that after three hours of this “difficult” situation, one of them arrived and woke up the Australian passenger and asked her to bring her passport and leave the plane.

When she asked why they invited her off the plane, she was told, “The police want to talk to you,” and since Mills didn’t know what was happening, she walked to the door of the plane in her “pajamas.”

Mills said that she was alarmed at this time because she did not know what was happening, as she was being driven to somewhere in the airport, until she saw two ambulances and a team with special clothing for surgeons, and at this time suggested that the matter was related to the emerging corona virus, but the issue was not Also.

After the examination, the women were questioned inside one of the airport rooms, and then allowed to return to the plane in shock.

Mills said she was in a state of extreme confusion, because she did not know the reasons for the search from the beginning, and this put her in a state of suspicion.

He added that the pilot and the flight attendants were unaware of their role, while the rest of the passengers were surprised to see how they took out several women.

She said what happened to the other women was really scary: “I am a mother and I have three daughters, and luckily none of them were exposed to that.”

Australian movement

The female victims did not speak about the incident during the flight and preferred to postpone the matter until they reached Sydney airport, at which point one of the women coordinated with the others to present a report to the Australian Federal Police.

On Monday Australian Chancellor Maryse Payne said what happened during the trip was very disturbing, calling it an “assault”.

He added that in his entire life he had not heard of such a matter, in any context, and then indicated that the government has made it clear to the Qatari authorities.

In a previous statement, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the reports indicated an incident of hostile treatment of women as well as being disproportionate, because what was required was that women gave their consent.

He said he had spoken with the Qatari ambassador in Canberra and said he would like the Qatari authorities to present a report on what happened.

For its part, Australia said an incident at the Doha airport in Qatar was referred to the Australian Federal Police, according to Reuters.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Marys Payne confirmed that the women had contacted the Australian government at the time of this incident earlier this month, and that the Australian government had discussed this matter with the Australian ambassador. Qatar, noting that the Australian Federal Police had also been informed of this “unusual incident”.

“This is very disturbing and aggressive, related to a variety of events. It is something I have never heard of in my life in any context. We have informed the Qatari authorities of our views very clearly,” Payne told the media. .

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that Hamad Airport issued a statement saying the identity of the newborn receiving medical care has not yet been determined.

Payne said the Australian government expects the Qatari authorities, who are still investigating the incident, to issue a report by the end of the week, noting that there is great concern about the women accessing a medical examination, adding that “these are very private and personal matters.”

An earlier statement from the Australian government said that the reports indicated that the form of treatment “did not create conditions under which women could freely and knowingly consent”.