Harrowing moments after newborn baby found in bin at Qatar airport
WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: Harrowing new details about a baby found dumped at an airport have emerged after CCTV of the newborn being rescued was released.
On October 2, a newborn baby was found dumped in a garbage bin at Hamad International Airport in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
A statement from Qatar’s government says the baby was found concealed in a plastic bag and buried under garbage.
The government added the baby girl was rescued from what appeared to be a “shocking and appalling attempt to kill her”.
The details come as Doha News obtained CCTV footage of the moment the baby was rescued and attended to by paramedics.
The video, which is just over a minute long, shows five officials surrounding the baby, which is wrapped in a blue blanket after being rescued from the toilet bin.
Outcry over invasive medical exams
Qatar’s government says the baby is now safe under medical care in Doha. The discovery triggered an immediate search for the parents, including the shocking examination of passengers boarding flights in the vicinity of where the newborn was found.
Up to 18 women from 10 different aircraft, 13 of which were Australians, were reportedly subjected to internal examinations after the discovery of the baby, leading to widespread outcry.
Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday morning some of the Australians were headed to Sydney.
“The issues which have been discussed in relation to this matter are very concerning and very distressing and the Australian government has been quite clear about that,” Ms Payne said.
One of the women told the ABC they weren’t told why they were being searched while another said it was “terrifying”.
The NSW branch of the Transport Workers’ Union are meeting on Thursday to decide whether to boycott government-owned Qatar Airways.
“This is just downright sexual assault sanctioned by a government and we can't have that," union boss Richard Olsen told the Nine Network on Wednesday.
Qatar launches investigation into airport examinations
Qatar’s government said in a statement it was the first instance of an abandoned infant being discovered in such a condition at the airport and apologised for any distress caused.
“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,” the statement said.
It added the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar has ordered a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident.
“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,” the statement said.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
