Doha News has obtained exclusive footage that shows the moments immediately after a newborn baby girl was found at Qatar’s main airport.
CCTV footage from Hamad International Airport acquired exclusively by Doha News has revealed the moments a newborn baby was discovered by paramedics at the facility.
The 1 minute 17 seconds clip shows at least five paramedics looking after the baby, coddled in a blue blanket, after recovering her from the toilet where she was dumped in a bin by her mother, in what authorities believe was an attempted murder.
The footage surfaced just hours after Doha confirmed the launch of an immediate inquiry into the incident, which also saw thirteen Australian women – among others – suffer non-consensual and invasive physical examination in the aftermath of the discovery, in a hasty bid to find the baby’s mother.
The move was announced after global and local outcry over the case, which had initially been reported by Australian media outlets.
In a statement on Wednesday, Doha strongly condemned the inappropriate conduct and confirmed the incident was both a violation of rights and Qatari law.
“This was the first instance of an abandoned infant being discovered in such a condition at HIA – this egregious and life-threatening violation of the law triggered an immediate search for the parents, including on flights in the vicinity of where the newborn was found,” read a statement from the Government Communications Office (GCO).
“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 traveler caused by this action” the statement added.
Doha News earlier also obtained new details about the incident.
Read also: Outrage as women strip searched after abandoned baby discovered at Qatar airport
A source confirmed the mother, who’s identity is yet to be known, had delivered the baby on her own in the toilets at Doha’s main airport. She then put the live baby girl in a bag and dumped her in a bin before proceeding to cover her with tissues in an attempt to conceal the newborn.
Authorities are now on the hunt for the woman in a case that has been elevated to attempted murder. The baby girl is now safe and in the care of social workers in Qatar.
“The Qatari investigation is to determine which laws might have been violated, any individuals responsible, and recommend disciplinary and prosecutorial action where appropriate,” a source with knowledge of the investigation told Doha News.
On Sunday, Australian media reported that thirteen Australian women, among others, were reportedly taken off a Qatar Airways flight and subjected to a thorough medical examination after a baby was found in a restroom at HIA.
The Australian Federal Government addressed “serious concerns” over allegations that staff at the airport made the passengers on flight QR 908 undergo a strip-search after forcing them off the flight without providing them with information.
According to Qatar’s government, the investigation into the conduct of authorities at HIA will be lead by the Prime Minister’s office and its findings will be made public. Doha News understands that Qatari law was not adhered to with security personnel failing to secure the required approvals for their searches whilst also failing to get consent from the women passengers.
Follow Doha News on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube
