CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – A group of seven women in Australia plan to sue the Qatari government for being forced to undergo a gynecological examination at Doha International Airport after an abandoned infant was found in a trash can there last year. their attorney said Monday.
The Australian government at the time condemned the treatment of women by the Qatari authorities at Hamad International Airport on 2 October 2020, after Qatar Airways Flight 908 to Sydney was damaged. they eat.
Seven were among the 13 women on board who were subjected to an “invasion check” on the runway, their attorney Damian Sturzaker, from Sydney-based Marque Lawyers, said.
“What they want is first and foremost compensation for the fact that they were affected at the time and continue to suffer,” says Sturzaker. “They have a hard time dealing with a very traumatic period.”
Nine or 10 other flights from Doha were similarly delayed while female passengers were searched, he added.
Sturzaker said he was not aware of passengers on other flights taking legal action against the Qataris over the episode for which the Qatari government had apologized.
“They want the Qatari government an apology for their treatment and what they want and have asked for for a long time is that procedures be taken so that this does not happen again,” added Sturzaker.
The women, in their 30s to late 50s, are likely to sue in the Supreme Court of New South Wales within weeks, the lawyer said.
The women did not specify the amount of compensation they were seeking.
The Government of Qatar, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, as well as the state-owned airline and airport, have received legal advice that the Australian courts have jurisdiction over the case and that the disputing parties have the ability to won the case, Sturzaker said.
The Qatari government declined to comment, but pointed to its previous statements about the incident, in which it offered its “sincere apologies” and said that “those responsible for the violations and acts this illegal activity” was referred to prosecutors.
The Australian Federal Police notified complainants last week that an airport police officer had been fined and received a six-month suspended prison sentence for forcing a check, Sturzaker said.
Th Airline has denied responsibility while the Qatari government has said it is reviewing the women’s claim, Sturzaker said.
“We don’t have high hopes regarding anything other than denying the claim,” Sturzaker said, meaning the claim will go to trial.
In Qatar, like many Middle Eastern countries, sex and childbirth outside of marriage are criminalized. Migrant workers in the past have hidden their pregnancies and tried to travel abroad to give birth, and others have abandoned their children anonymously to avoid jail time.
Qatar, a small, energy-rich country on the Arabian Peninsula, will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Associated Press journalist Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report
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