*Some police officials at HIA violated procedures
*Parents identified through DNA examination
*International co-operation to arrest fugitive mother
The newborn girl found abandoned in a trash can in Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) on October 2 has Asian parents, Qatar’s Public Prosecution said on Monday, according to a statement carried by official Qatar News Agency (QNA).
The infant was found in a plastic bag inside a trash can in one of the toilets in the Departures Lounge at HIA. After being provided with immediate medical attention she was transferred to a childcare centre in Qatar.
The Public Prosecution’s statement with communication numbers 5689 and 6457 for 2020 - Capital Security Department – described the incident of finding the infant and the violations of the Judicial Police Officers at HIA.
“Investigations revealed that the infant's mother, who holds the nationality of an Asian country, had a relationship with another person of the nationality of one of the Asian countries as well, and resulted in the infant that was found.
“The mother, while leaving the country, threw the newborn in the trash can in one of the toilets in the Departures Lounge at the airport and boarded the plane to her destination.
“The father of the infant admitted he had a relationship with the infant's mother, and that she had sent him a message and photo of the new-born infant immediately after her birth. The mother said she had thrown the infant and fled to her country. The defendants’ DNA were identical to that of the infant when examined.
“Airport security performed its legal duty when searching for the perpetrator, however, some employees violated the procedures, summoning female medical staff at the airport to conduct external examination of female passengers, prior to them being allowed to depart for their destination.
“As soon as the Public Prosecution office was informed of the incident, the Public Prosecutor conducted extensive investigations, with all police agencies and specialised technical experts, to gather the facts of the two incidents: the disposal of the newborn infant in a trash can; and the violations by some employees; to determine what potential crimes were committed, arrest those responsible and bring them to criminal prosecution.
“The investigation plan was based on summoning all relevant agencies or employees who worked at the crime scene area at the airport and questioning those in charge of the Airport Security Department, Civil Aviation Control Tower, Airport Administration, and DNA examination. The Public Prosecution office also reviewed all correspondence and reports that officials working at the airport exchanged with others at that time and those reviewing the content of surveillance cameras, audio recordings and phones.
“Extensive investigations revealed that some employees of the Airport Security Department acted unilaterally by summoning female medical staff to conduct external examination of some female passengers, thinking that what they had done was within the law as they are Judicial Police Officers authorised in investigating the circumstances of the crime.
“The Public Prosecution notes that the violations committed by some employees of the Airport Security Department are against the law and are punishable under the Qatari Penal Code with penalties of a maximum of three years.
“The Public Prosecution also notes that the crime of attempting to kill a newborn infant immediately after her birth and in the circumstances in which she was found is one of the most heinous crimes against human values, as well as punishable under the Qatari Penal Code with a maximum penalty of 15 years. The Public Prosecution is taking the appropriate legal action with international judicial co-operation to arrest the fugitive convict.
“Accordingly, the Public Prosecutor ordered that the convicts - those who threw the newborn infant in the trash can and the Judicial Police Officers who violated laws and regulations - be presented to the Criminal Court to receive a penalty for what they had committed,” the statement added.
