Woman says police made her draw milk from breast at Frankfurt Airport
Germany's federal police are having to fight off an accusation that has made international headlines - that a woman passing through Frankfurt Airport was made to prove that she was lactating.
The woman from Singapore told the BBC that police grew suspicious when they saw that she was travelling with a breast pump but without her baby while she was passing through security at the airport.
The 33-year-old said she was ordered into a room where she was questioned by a female police officer. The police officer asked her to prove she was lactating by opening her blouse and drawing milk from her breast, according to the Singaporean business woman's account.
The woman, who has a seven-month old baby who she had left behind in Singapore, said that she complied with the request out of uncertainty as to what would happen to her if she refused.
But after the incident was over, she said she was left traumatized and began to cry as it dawned on her what had happened.
Germany’s federal police, who are responsible for guarding the country’s borders, have denied that the incident took place.
“The demand for a woman to prove that she was lactating simply didn’t happen,” a spokesperson told the Frankfurter Rundschau.
The spokesperson confirmed that the woman was stopped at the security control due to the fact that she had a breast pump in her hand luggage and that she was taken aside for further questioning.
He would not comment on whether she was asked to undress.
Initially the federal police refused to comment on the specific case, while stating that making a woman lactate would contravene their security check guidelines.
The Singaporean business woman is now considering taking legal action against the federal police.
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The woman from Singapore told the BBC that police grew suspicious when they saw that she was travelling with a breast pump but without her baby while she was passing through security at the airport.
The 33-year-old said she was ordered into a room where she was questioned by a female police officer. The police officer asked her to prove she was lactating by opening her blouse and drawing milk from her breast, according to the Singaporean business woman's account.
The woman, who has a seven-month old baby who she had left behind in Singapore, said that she complied with the request out of uncertainty as to what would happen to her if she refused.
But after the incident was over, she said she was left traumatized and began to cry as it dawned on her what had happened.
Germany’s federal police, who are responsible for guarding the country’s borders, have denied that the incident took place.
“The demand for a woman to prove that she was lactating simply didn’t happen,” a spokesperson told the Frankfurter Rundschau.
The spokesperson confirmed that the woman was stopped at the security control due to the fact that she had a breast pump in her hand luggage and that she was taken aside for further questioning.
He would not comment on whether she was asked to undress.
Initially the federal police refused to comment on the specific case, while stating that making a woman lactate would contravene their security check guidelines.
The Singaporean business woman is now considering taking legal action against the federal police.
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