Naomi Button Appeals For Missing Daughter Elsa Salama, Abducted By Egyptian Father

Mother Launches Global Appeal For Abducted Daughter

A mother has launched a worldwide appeal to help find her five-year-old daughter who was abducted by her father during a family visit to Egypt.

Naomi Button, from Leeds, has not seen or heard from her daughter Elsa Salama, who will be six next month, since 2011.

Last week, her father, Tamer Salama, had another year added to his jail sentence for his continuing failure to comply with court orders to return his daughter to her mother in the UK.

Elsa went missing during a vist to her father's family

Salama was told by a judge sitting at the High Court in London, that it was now time for him to "wake up" and recognise that the "state of affairs" was not in the best interests of his daughter Elsa.

He also said he believed Elsa's father was not being honest with the court when he said his incarceration was preventing him complying with orders.

Egyptian-born Salama, 35, has been in custody since January last year and was serving a total of two years for contempt of court until Mr Justice Cobb ruled that he had committed fresh breaches of the court orders made in relation to Elsa and should serve another year.

Now Ms Button is launching an international appeal to help find Elsa.

She told Sky News: "The worst times are when I wake up in the middle of the night. I worry that she's crying for me.

"I wonder that she thinks I just left her. I don't know what she's been told. I don't know if she thinks I don't want her and I just left here in Egypt."

She said: "Please just let her come home to her mummy. She found it very difficult being away from me for any length of time.

"I know that she wants to be back home with mummy and I hope that they do the right thing."

Elsa with her mum Naomi

Elsa was abducted in the resort of Sharm El Sheikh on December 27 as she visited her father's family.

He said: "When Mr Salama first deprived Elsa of the love of her mother and arranged for her to be in the care of his own family, that was a gross act which undoubtedly justified ... the most serious punishment available to the court."

The judge said it was "vital in Elsa's interests that she is restored to the care of her mother as soon as possible".

Elsa's English mother and her father married in Egypt in December 2005.

Their daughter was born in Egypt and the family relocated to England in 2007. The couple separated in 2009, with Elsa remaining in the care of her mother.

In December 2011, both Salama and Ms Button went to Sharm El Sheikh for a holiday with Elsa.

The court heard how Ms Button had arranged and paid for a two-week trip to Egypt so that Elsa could see her extended paternal family.

Salama, a physics teacher who was living in Southampton, returned to this country from Egypt on January 1 2012. He then breached court orders made in favour of the mother which resulted in his being jailed.

Speaking after the court case, Kate Banerjee, from the law firm representing the family, said: "Elsa is without the love and care of either a mother or father in a country where she doesn't speak the language or understand the culture.

"We appeal to anyone who knows Elsa's whereabouts to just pick up the phone and help us return this little girl to her mother."

:: Anyone with information about Elsa, who has dark, wavy hair, brown eyes, and usually wears glasses, should ring the following numbers - within the UK dial 101 and ask to speak to Leeds District Safeguarding Unit at West Yorkshire Police and if dialling from outside the UK the number is 00 44 192 437 5222.

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