State 'not doing enough', says mother of boys abducted by Egyptian father
A woman whose two children were abducted by their father in Cairo two years ago has said the Irish State is not doing enough to help people in her situation.
Mandy Kelly, from Louth, was speaking following a meeting with the ombudsman for children on Thursday.
In March 2022, her sons were taken by their father during a family holiday in Egypt.
Ms Kelly has not seen or heard from her sons Zayn, aged six, and Kareem, aged three, since then.
She met with Dr Niall Muldoon at his offices in Dublin City centre ahead of her landmark case in the family courts in Egypt in September.
Ms Kelly is taking the case after exhausting all other avenues in her efforts to have her children returned to her.
Egypt is not signed up to The Hague convention on child abductions, making it difficult to have the children brought home by the Irish State.
“Dr Muldoon was concerned that we have no measures or mechanisms in place for abductions to non-Hague compliant countries on abductions, like Egypt” Ms Kelly told the .
“I also addressed with him that I can’t trust the Egyptian family law courts but have no choice but to go.
“Dr Muldoon was also enquiring about a welfare check on my sons. One was done in December but really that is not good enough.
“These are Irish citizens, no matter what country it is.
“My ex husband took those children and has refused to return them and the Muslim community would seriously frown on that because they believe a child should be reared by the mother mostly.
Mr Muldoon is going to raise the issue following their meeting, Ms Kelly said.
Ms Kelly said she had no idea her husband was planning to abduct her children when they traveled to Egypt to meet his relatives.
“They were registered for school and creche in September 2022.
“He waited until we got to Cairo, locked me in the apartment, and took my children.
“I can’t even explain how distressed I was. I had to come home because there was no support for me over there whatsoever."
Ms Kelly said she wants a guarantee from the State that if she has her children returned by Egyptian authorities that her husband cannot obstruct their exit from the country.
“I want more support from the State and I want my children back.
Taoiseach Simon Harris also wrote to Ms Kelly recently offering his sympathies.
“He can’t promise me a whole lot but he’s encouraging me to engage a local lawyer in Egypt," said Ms Kelly.
“The Government has told me that they believe the right course of action is the Egyptian courts.
"It won’t be long before this case goes before the courts in Cairo and we won’t be long seeing if that is actually true.
“I intend to get them home but I also intend to make sure this never happens anyone else.”