In a significant legal development, five Australian women have been granted the right to sue Qatar Airways following an incident at Doha's Hamad International Airport in 2020. The women allege they were forcibly removed from a Qatar Airways flight and subjected to invasive physical examinations without consent, sparking international outrage.

Background of the Incident

The incident occurred in October 2020 when a newborn baby was found abandoned in an airport bathroom. In response, Qatari authorities conducted a search for the child's mother, leading to the removal of more than a dozen women from a Sydney-bound flight. Among them, four Australian women underwent intimate examinations, three of which were invasive.

Legal Proceedings and Court Rulings

Initially, Justice John Halley dismissed the case against Qatar Airways, citing the Montreal Convention, which limits airline liability in such situations. He argued that the airline's staff could not have influenced the actions of Qatari police or the medical personnel involved. However, the Federal Court, led by Justice Angus Stewart, overturned this decision, stating that the case should be decided at trial rather than dismissed summarily.

The court upheld the dismissal of the case against Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority due to jurisdictional immunity but allowed the lawsuit against Matar, the airport operator, to proceed. The women are seeking damages for alleged negligence, assault, false imprisonment, and battery.

Personal Accounts and Reactions

The women involved have shared harrowing accounts of their experiences. One woman described feeling as though she had been violated, while another feared she was being kidnapped. Their lawyer, Damian Sturzaker, emphasized the trauma endured by his clients and their right to seek justice and compensation.