All female passengers aboard a flight bound for Sydney, Australia were asked on October 2 to disembark the plane and given strip-search and invasive medical exam after a newborn was found abandoned in one of the airport toilets.

In a report by New York Times, the Qatar Airways flight had been stalled for over three hours after it was announced that all women aboard must undergo a strip search and medical exam to determine if they had recently given birth following the discovery of the infant at Hamad International Airport.

The incident drew widespread anger in Australia, with the government demanding answers from the airline. It called the treatment of passengers “offensive, grossly inappropriate and beyond circumstances in which the women could give free and informed consent.”

“The Australian government is deeply concerned at the unacceptable treatment of some female passengers on a recent Qatar Airways flight at Doha Airport,” the authorities said in a statement.

As of the moment, Qatar Airways has not yet been reached for comment. However, a spokesperson of the airport said medical professionals expressed concern about the health of the mother and requested she be located. “Individuals who had access to the specific area of the airport where the newborn infant was found were asked to assist in the query,” added the official.

The spokesperson added that the baby is not being cared for.

In an interview with New York Times, lawyer and human rights activist Heather Barr said these “examinations can constitute sexual assault.”

“It’s just not the right way to get help for the baby or for the mother,” she said.