Welland mother loses court battle, child returns to Egypt with father

The 9-year-old girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert in December, has returned to Egypt with her father.

An Ontario judge dismissed claims made by the girl’s mother, Allana Haist, that she was trying to protect her daughter from a sexually abusive father. The judge ruled there was no credible evidence and called the allegations a malicious contrivance.

Layla Sabry, 9, was born and raised in Egypt but has been the subject of a three-year long custody battle between her mother and father.

Haist fled from Egypt with her daughter in 2015, despite court orders prohibiting her from taking Layla out of the country.

A Canada-Wide Warrant was issued for Haist she failed to appear for a court hearing. The Welland mother and young girl were located in the early morning hours of December 12 in Hamilton.

The Welland Tribune reported Haist’s father, Allan Haist, said the family learned of the decision Monday morning, but by that time the young girl had already returned to Egypt with her father, Mohammed Abdel-Motaleb.