A journalist from Argentina who got robbed on air while reporting in Qatar on the FIFA World Cup 2022 and lost her money and documents that were in her handbag was shocked by the response of the police when she went to file her complaint.
Dominique Metzger, a female television reporter was covering the world cup from the Corniche area of Doha during the build-up to the first match of the tournament. According to Todo Noticias (TN), the journalist said that the officials had promised that they would find the suspect.
The Qatari officials said that Metzger could choose the punishment for the culprit. Metzger told the outlet that she filed a complaint at a local police station immediately after the incident and was shocked by the response she received.
Speaking to Todo Noticias (TN), she said that she was surprised to know that she could choose the penalty for the alleged thief.
“I had my small bag on me with all the things that one needs, my wallet, the keys to our hotel room, some napkins,” she told a TN news anchor.
‘”And you were dancing, right?” the anchor asked the reporter.
“Yes, I was dancing with the crowd and I’m convinced that it was at that moment when someone opened the bag zipper and took my wallet,” Metzger replied.
While the incident of the robbery was not recorded, a video showed the reporter dancing in the crowd with her bag hanging by her side. She said she was focused on talking to the camera and enjoying the noisy crowd.
“I didn’t realise at that moment, you know you’re live on air, with music and crowds around you, and I was focused on you talking to me too. So I wasn’t paying attention,” she recalled.
“After I finish my live report, I wanted to take my wallet to buy a water bottle and then I realised I didn’t have it,” she added.
Reportedly, city officials in Qatar have installed 15,000 high-resolution cameras in the stadium alone. There are thousands of cameras, assisted by facial recognition technology all over the city, especially around the newly built stadiums.
Metzzer further shared that the male police officers ignored her request, saying that she was led to an area where there were only women who were to register her complaint.
“I asked why I was there and they told me as I’m a woman, it has to be a policewoman who has to help me,” MailOnline quoted her as saying.
“We will find the wallet, there are cameras everywhere,” the police told her. “What do you want the justice system to do to them when they are found?” they asked the question that surprised the woman.
The policewoman asked the reporter if she wanted the culprit to be deported or sentenced to five years in prison, leaving the decision to the complainant. She said that she would leave the decision to the system and just wanted back her belongings.
