Woman Forced To Squeeze Breast For Airport Security To Prove She's Breast Feeding

Gayathiri Bose, a mother of two, claimed security at the Frankfurt Airport asked her to show them her breasts to confirm she was actually breast feeding.

The 33-year-old Singaporean was traveling by herself from Frankfurt, Germany, to Paris, France, when the incident occurred.

While German police deny that she was ever asked to do such a thing, Bose told BBC that she was "humiliated" by the incident and plans to take further legal action.

She explained that security officials at the Frankfurt Airport got suspicious after they saw her breast pump going through the X-ray machine, even though she was traveling by herself.

This is where the questioning began.

Bose said, "[They had] an incredulous tone. 'You are breastfeeding? Then where is your baby? Your baby is in Singapore?'"

She responded that it was, in fact, just a breast pump. But they didn't believe her, so they confiscated her passport and sent her into another room for questioning.

This is where things took a turn for the totally and completely inappropriate.

Bose was met by a female officer who demanded she prove she was lactating.

She told BBC,  "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 breastmilk."

Bose tried explaining to the officer that there is no such attachment and that usually the mother just places the pump onto her nipple and the machine does the work for her.

Then, the officer apparently asked her to "show" her "by hand-expressing a little."

Bose obliged, but said, "I was just in shock, I 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."

When she came out of the room, she started to come to terms with what had happened to her. "I just started to cry, I was terribly upset."

I told them that this is not the way to treat someone.

After clearing the pump and returning her passport, officers at the airport seemed to show no remorse for the humiliating experience they put her through.

Bose explained, "When they finally cleared me of the matter, I told them that this is not the way to treat someone. I said 'Do you know what you just did to me, you made me show my breast.'"

To this, the officer nonchalantly replied, "Okay it is over now, please go."

Regarding the incident, aviation expert Ellis Taylor told the BBC, "This is not normal. There are some people representing authority who do overstep the mark, but that to me sounds unprecedented and quite frankly very humiliating."

While a spokesman for the Frankfurt Airport police confirms Bose was stopped for checks, he denies she was asked to squeeze her breasts.

Citations: Mother 'told to prove lactation' at Frankfurt airport (BBC)