Mum trapped in Egypt with no way out after rescuing abducted daughter

Samantha Landy

Herald Sun

August 26, 2014 8:48PM

A MELBOURNE woman who travelled to violence-plagued Egypt to rescue her abducted daughter has been trapped in the country for more than a year — and the Australian Government says there is nothing more it can do to help her.

Amaal Finn's five-year-old daughter, Zareen, is unable to leave Egypt due to a travel ban placed on her by her father — Ms Finn's estranged husband, Mazen Baioumy.

Ms Finn says Zareen was left in Egypt with Mr Baioumy's family against her wishes in January last year.

Ms Finn travelled to Cairo on August 17 last year to recover her.

Now, 12 months on, Ms Finn is still battling to get the ban dropped so the pair can return home, despite Mr Baioumy being ordered to remove it last year.

Amaal Finn and her estranged husband, Mazen Baioumy, are involved in a court battle.

Mr Baioumy is living in Melbourne.

The mother of three is in the midst of court proceedings in Benha, Egypt, which she says have cost her and her family almost $100,000.

Ms Finn said she had written to Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop pleading for her to help them leave “two or three times”, but was yet to receive a response.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said the Government had “no standing” to intervene in court matters involving Australians overseas.

Amaal Finn's estranged husband, Mazen Baioumy.

But she said consular officials were providing Ms Finn with “all appropriate support”, maintaining consistent contact with her.

The Australian embassy in Cairo had also supported Ms Finn in discussions with Egyptian authorities, helped her lodge documents and find local legal representation, the spokeswoman said.

Ms Finn has already been away from her two oldest children — a daughter, 14, and son, 12 — for more than a year and says Zareen is missing out on her childhood.

She said she has been forced to homeschool her daughter, who should have started kindergarten this year, as they are too afraid to leave the small apartment where they are holed up.