Qatar says it has referred officials at its international airport to prosecutors for possible charges after they ordered 18 women be subjected to invasive searches following the discovery of an abandoned baby.
Qatar’s Communications Office called the examinations “violations and illegal actions” and apologised for the incident.
It described the baby’s abandonment as the “attempted murder” of a child.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne responded with a statement which said she welcomed Qatar’s acknowledgement of the “offensive mistreatment of female passengers” at Doha.
“The preliminary investigation of Qatar into this incident has shown illegal actions occurred,” she said.
“I look forward to continued cooperation with Qatar as we seek to resolve this incident.”
