The Australian government says it is ‘deeply concerned’ at the ‘offensive, grossly inappropriate treatment’ of female passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Sydney, who were ordered to disembark the plane in Doha and were subjected to a strip search and a medical examination.
The flight was due to leave Hamad International airport at Doha on Friday 2 October, but was delayed for four hours after a newborn baby was found in the airport.
All adult women on the Qatar Airways flight were required to disembark to be body-searched, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.
Thirteen Australian women, and female passengers from other countries, were taken to an ambulance on the tarmac to be examined.
