Three days ago, Aviation24.be reported about a newborn infant that was found abandoned in one of the toilets of Doha Airport, Qatar. Several women at the airport, including 13 Australians who were deboarded from flight QR908, were detained without an explanation and were forced to take off their underwear and undergo an internal examination in an ambulance. Qatar has now issued a statement on the questionable practices.
Government Communications Office statement on an abandoned infant discovered at Hamad International Airport:
On 2nd October 2020, a newborn infant was found in a trash can, concealed in a plastic bag and buried under garbage, at Hamad International Airport (HIA) (editorial note: Doha Airport, Qatar). The baby girl was rescued from what appeared to be a shocking and appalling attempt to kill her. The infant is now safe under medical care in Doha.
This was the first instance of an abandoned infant being discovered in such a condition at HIA – this egregious and life-threatening violation of the law triggered an immediate search for the parents, including on flights in the vicinity of where the newborn was found. While the aim of the urgently-decided search was to prevent the perpetrators of the horrible crime from escaping, the State of Qatar regrets any distress or infringement on the personal freedoms of any traveller caused by this action.
His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar has directed that a comprehensive, transparent investigation into the incident be conducted. The results of the investigation will be shared with our international partners. The State of Qatar remains committed to ensuring the safety, security and comfort of all travellers transiting through the country.
Note: it appears that the search was made not only on passengers of flight QR908, but on travellers from some 10 flights.