AFP concerned it doesn't have jurisdiction to investigate Doha airport searches

The Australian Federal Police began interviewing women who were subjected to invasive body searches at Doha airport less than two days after the incident but hasn’t launched an official investigation due to concerns it doesn’t have jurisdiction.

Thirteen Australian women on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Sydney were ordered off the plane and into an ambulance on the tarmac where they were physically searched without their consent after a premature baby was found in a bathroom.

The women were on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Sydney.Credit: Fairfax Media

Qatari authorities are currently writing a report into the incident, which is expected to be handed to the Australian government within days.

The AFP began questioning women who were on the October 2 flight days after the incident, but the Australian government did not publicly express its concern until it was reported in the media on Sunday night.

AFP officers called women on the flight as early as October 4 – their first day of hotel quarantine in Sydney. Some of the women were emailed by the AFP yesterday telling them to get in contact again if they wanted to discuss the matter further.

While the AFP is still looking into the incident, there are concerns about whether it has jurisdiction to investigate a matter at Hamad International Airport, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade remains the lead agency.

The women were subjected to the searches after airport terminal staff discovered the baby was abandoned in a bathroom. The baby is alive but the mother has not been identified.

It is believed 18 women in total were subjected to physical searches — 13 Australians and five women from other countries.

One Australian diplomat on the flight was spared from the invasive physical examination.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne first called Qatar's ambassador to Australia, Saad Abdulla AL-Mahmoud, on October 6 to raise her concern about the incident. She phoned the ambassador again on Monday afternoon, telling him that Qatari authorities needed to complete their investigation urgently.

Senator Payne this week labelled the invasive physical searches a "grossly disturbing, offensive, concerning set of events".

DFAT began raising its concern with authorities in Qatar before October 6, according to government sources.

Liberal MP Dave Sharma, a former senior diplomat, said "throughout my diplomatic career, I never encountered something like this".

"It is an abhorrent and unwarranted abuse of power, and a humiliating and intimidating experience for the women involved," Mr Sharma said.

"The incident should have been handled with a much higher degree of sensitivity and tact.

"I expect a prompt and extensive explanation from Qatari authorities, as well as an apology to the women who had to endure such a humiliating and disturbing incident."

The AFP declined to comment on Tuesday, but earlier this week said it was aware of the matter and was engaging with DFAT.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said the Qatari government needed to provide a public response to the "outrageous violation of Australian citizens".

"Like everybody I was horrified, genuinely horrified," Senator Wong told Channel Nine's Today program.

"These women have been subjected to an outrageous violation and it is a dreadful thing to have occurred.

"None of this is acceptable. The treatment of the women is not acceptable, and as yet the absence of a response.

"We need to get a response, we need to get to the bottom of what happened - we need to know why this happened, what happened, who was accountable for it, and there needs to be an appropriate response from the Qatari government."

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