A British grandmother says she is still in shock after being subjected to an invasive medical examination by Qatari officials on the tarmac of Doha’s Hamad International Airport in October 2020.
The authorities were looking for the mother of a newborn baby which had been found in a plastic bag in a rubbish bin in the departures lounge.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Mandy says that what happened to her and many other women that night felt like an assault and a violation for which they have received no apology.
Now a group of five Australian women, including Anna (who did not want to use her real name), who were strip-searched and examined during the incident, are suing the authorities in Qatar and the national airline.
They have filed legal action in the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney. The BBC understands the papers were served at Qatar Airways’ Australia head office in Melbourne on Thursday.
