Mother begins latest round of six-year court fight to get daughter back
A woman whose husband took their daughter and left her at his family home in Libya has launched the latest round of a six-year court fight to get the youngster back.
Malgorzata Szymanowicz had left Talia Belaid, who was three months old, with Maher Belaid in November 2012 while she shopped near her home in Cardiff.
Belaid, who was living with Talia and Ms Szymanowicz at the time, said he was going to a coffee shop.
Instead, he abducted Talia (pictured) and took her to his mother in Libya.
Talia, who will turn seven in July, has remained in Libya and Ms Szymanowicz’s only contact with her has been via Skype.
In 2014, Belaid was arrested after returning to South Wales and convicted of child abduction.
A crown court judge handed him a four-year jail term.
He was released on licence in August 2017 and now lives in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
Ms Szymanowicz, who comes from Poland and is now separated from Belaid, has now launched a fresh round of litigation in a family court.
Judge Carol Atkinson, who is analysing the case at hearings in the East London Family Court in Canary Wharf, has ordered Belaid to make arrangements for Talia to be returned to her mother.
She also says Ms Szymanowicz must be allowed to have regular Skype contact with Talia, who speaks only Arabic.
Belaid, who has been granted legal aid to pay for lawyers to represent him at family court hearings, has told Judge Atkinson how he thinks that Talia should be back in the UK with Ms Szymanowicz.
But he says his mother will not agree to the youngster leaving Libya.
He has told the judge that his “head wasn’t straight” when he took Talia to Libya.
Barrister Mark Jarman, who leads Ms Szymanowicz’s legal team, told the judge how Ms Szymanowicz thought Belaid had the ability to get Talia back to the UK.
Judge Atkinson is overseeing the case at private hearings.
But she has ruled that people involved can be named in media reports.
She is expected to review progress at a further hearing in the spring.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2019, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Malgorzata Szymanowicz / PA Wire.
