An Egyptian court has granted an Irish woman custody of her two sons more than two years after her estranged husband refused to allow them to return from Cairo to their home in Co Louth, the woman’s mediator has said.
Mandy Kelly (38), from Dundalk, has had no contact with Irish-born Kareem (3) and Zayn (5) since April 2022. Egyptian police are at present searching for Ms Kelly’s estranged husband, an Egyptian national, in order to serve court documents on him and execute the custody order granted this month, according to Miceál O’Hurley, a mediator acting for Ms Kelly. “Now in a city of 9.5 million people, we have to find a man who desires not to be found,” he said.
Ms Kelly is currently in Cairo as the process continues, and Mr O’Hurley said it is taking a toll on his client. “You can imagine the rollercoaster of emotion she goes through on a daily basis, not knowing where her children are, the husband has cut off all contact,” he said.
On behalf of Ms Kelly, Mr O’Hurley said she was extremely grateful for the assistance provided to her by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, his department and the Irish embassy in Cairo. He said their work has been pivotal in trying to reunite Ms Kelly with her children.
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Egypt is not signed up to the 1980 Hague Convention, which aims to protect children from international abduction by a parent, using diplomatic pressure to ensure the prompt return of the child.
Ms Kelly has been campaigning for the safe return of her children since she last saw them two years ago and has petitioned the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Taoiseach Simon Harris.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it was “aware of the case and is providing extensive consular assistance to the citizen in question”, but said it wouldn’t comment on the detail of individual cases.
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