Mother in custody fight that triggered an Amber Alert in court

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A mother who was wanted on a Canada wide warrant for the abduction of her daughter last month, appeared in Welland court this morning. Allana Haist, told the court everything she did, she did to protect her daughter.

Allana Haist and 9 year old Layla Sabry’s photos were seen all across the country when an Amber Alert was issued after Haist failed to appear in court in December. But before that, the pair fled to Canada from Egypt in October of 2015 despite court orders prohibiting Layla from leaving the country while the custody battle between her parents raged on.

“She came to Canada to get her daughter treatment after she was sexually assaulted. She tried to get help for her daughter in Egypt and she met walls, systemic walls, cultural walls, she could not get the assistance she wanted to protect her daughter.” Natalie Fortier, Haist’s lawyer.

Layla’s father, Mohamed Abdel-Motaleb wants to fight the custody battle in Egypt, arguing the court does not have jurisdiction. Allana Haist’s lawyer argues that the court here can take jurisdiction because under the children’s law reform act, they have that right if there’s a serious risk of harm to the child.

Haist claims that after fleeing back home to Canada she discovered it was her husband who was sexually abusing her daughter. Abdel-Motaleb says that he never abused his daughter. A children’s welfare investigation did not verify the allegations of abuse and Abdel-Motaleb’s lawyer declined to comment.

The hearing will resume tomorrow at the Welland courthouse.