Female Passenger at FRA Asked to Prove Lactation

A woman traveling from Frankfurt to Paris with her breast pump but without her baby was asked to prove her ability to breastfeed.

A female passenger who was asked to prove she was lactating by staff at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) has filed a complaint with German authorities. Mother of two Gayathiri Bose, who was traveling alone from FRA to Paris last Thursday, told the BBC that she was left “humiliated” by the incident.

Bose explained to the outlet that she was taken aside by authorities at a security checkpoint at FRA because she was traveling with a breast pump but without her seven-month-old baby. When approached by airport staff she said that, “[They had] an incredulous tone. ‘You are breastfeeding? Then where is your baby? Your baby is in Singapore?'”

Despite insisting that the device found in her carry-on bag was a breast pump, Bose was taken to a private room for additional questioning by a female police officer. Once inside the room, Bose told how she was asked to prove that she was indeed lactating.

The police officer “asked me to open up my blouse and show her my breast […] She wanted me to show her by hand-expressing a little [milk],” Bose added, explaining that she complied with the officer’s request.

Speaking of her ordeal, she 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. It was only when I came out of the room that I began to slowly understand what had just happened. I just started to cry, I was terribly upset.”

After her breast pump had been tested, Bose was permitted to board her flight. Having taken the name of the female officer who interviewed her, Bose said that she is now considering taking legal action against the airport.

A spokesperson for the airport’s police confirmed that Bose had been subjected to additional security screening, but said that, “We deny the allegation that the passenger was asked to prove her ability to breastfeed.”

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