A Singaporean mother of two was asked to squeeze her breast at an airport in Germany recently, to prove to a security official that she was lactating.
According to a BBC report published on Tuesday (Jan 31), Ms Gayathiri Bose said the incident happened as she was about to board a flight to Paris alone on Jan 26. After her bag carrying a breast pump went through the X-ray machine at the security screening station, officers took her aside for questioning.
The 33-year-old told the BBC that they had asked her “in an incredulous tone”: “You are breastfeeding? Then where is your baby?”
Sceptical of her claim, a female officer took her to a room for further questioning and that was when she was asked to “open up (her) blouse and show (her) breast”, said Ms Bose.
“She wanted me to show her by hand-expressing a little,” Ms Bose added.
Ms Bose said she did as told because she was “going through the motions”.
“I was all by myself as well and wasn’t sure what would happen to me if they decided to make trouble for me,” the BBC quoted her as saying.
“HUMILIATING, VERY TRAUMATISING”
Ms Bose said that after the officers tested and cleared her pump, her passport was returned to her. She also asked for the name of the female officer, who wrote it on a piece of paper.
Despite her expressing discomfort over the way she was treated, the officer was “totally nonchalant and did not seem very remorseful or empathetic”, Ms Bose said.
Ms Bose said she was humiliated by the experience and described it as “very traumatising”. She added that she is considering taking legal action.
Source: CNA
