A woman has filed a complaint with German police alleging that she was asked to prove she was breastfeeding by staff at Frankfurt airport.
Gayathiri Bose from Singapore was travelling to Paris without her seven-month-old when her breast pump aroused suspicion.
She says staff kept her passport while she was taken to a room by a female police officer and asked to prove she was lactating, according to the BBC.
What if it had been a man carrying a breast pump?! Mother 'told to prove lactation' at #Frankfurt airport. https://t.co/J6oajC7VLf
— Shalaka Paradkar (@shalakaboom) February 1, 2017
German police deny the claims.Bose said: “She asked me to open up my blouse and show her my breast. She then asked how come I didn’t have anything attached to my breast, if I was lactating and expressing breast milk.”She says the female police officer wanted her to hand express milk, which she then did.
Ah the secret's out: Travelling with a breast pump is SO much fun that naturally us conniving women will fabricate any excuse to do it! https://t.co/KEy5dwgIT2
— Georgina Dent (@georgiedent) February 1, 2017
She told the BBC the 45 minute incident was “humiliating” and “very traumatising” and left her in tears.She says she took down the name of the officer and told them afterwards: “Do you know what you just did to me, you made me show my breast.”But Ms Bose says they told her it was now over and asked her to move on. She is now considering legal action.
@CPKDD Hi Philip. Thx for you comment. For your information: the Federal Police has conducted an investigation. There was probable cause 1/2
— Frankfurt Airport (@Airport_FRA) January 31, 2017
@CPKDD to have a second screening. This screening was carried out by a Woman policeman, who is a Mother of two herself. The accusation, 2/3
— Frankfurt Airport (@Airport_FRA) January 31, 2017
@CPKDD that the lady was asked to proof, that she is able to lactate, are rejected by the federal police. 3/3
— Frankfurt Airport (@Airport_FRA) January 31, 2017
Frankfurt Airport’s Twitter account said there was “probable cause to have a second screening” because of the breast pump.“This screening was carried out by a woman policeman, who is a mother-of-two herself,” they added, saying the federal police rejected the allegation.