Five Women Who Were Subjected to Gynecological Examinations Against Their Will at Doha Airport in Qatar in 2020 Suffer Defeat in an Australian Court Case Against Qatar Airways.

The female passengers had been forced by security forces to undergo intimate examinations for the identification of the mother of a newborn found in a trash bin. The court dismissed their claim for compensation on the grounds that the airline could not be held accountable according to international transport protocols.

Another lawsuit against the operator of the airport MATAR will be continued, however.

Judge John Halley stated that the staff of Qatar Airways had no influence on the actions of the Qatari police or the health personnel who conducted the investigations. The women's lawyer announced that they were considering filing an appeal.

The case has already had political consequences: Australian Transport Minister Catherine King cited the investigations as a reason to deny the airline the expansion of its flights to Australia. A manager from Qatar Airways promised that such an incident would not happen again.