JEDDAH — Qatari authorities say they have referred officials at its international airport to prosecutors for possible charges after women aboard Qatar Airways flights faced forced invasive examinations.

Women on 10 flights — including 18 women bound for Sydney — were searched in early October after a newborn baby was found dumped in the terminal.

The incident that took place on Oct. 2, caused global outrage with the Australian government and the country’s union workers threatening not to serve Qatar Airways aircraft in Sydney.

In a statement on Friday, Qatar's government communication office described the abandonment of the baby as the "attempted murder" of the child.

"The subsequent procedures taken by the authorities at the airport, including examining a number of female passengers, revealed that standard procedures were violated," the statement said.

"Those responsible for these violations and illegal actions have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office."

The statement, however, did not identify officials who had given the order.

The government expressed the “sincerest apology for what some female travelers went through as a result of the measures”. The final report’s findings will be shared after it is completed “in the very near future”.

Australia’s foreign minister, Marise Payne, on Friday night said she welcomed the apology.

“The preliminary investigation of Qatar into this incident has shown illegal actions occurred,” she said in a statement.

‘“It is an important step that these offenses have been referred to the public prosecution office. Australian passengers will be reassured that Qatar has established a specialized task force to review procedures and protocols to ensure there is never a repeat of this incident.”

On Wednesday, the government of Qatar said it regretted “any distress or infringement on the personal freedom of any traveler” caused by the decision to conduct intimate medical examinations of women transiting through Doha airport, in what it said was an “urgently-decided search” to find the mother of an abandoned baby. — Agencies