ST. JOHN’S Bouchra Marbouhi is heartbroken after her five-year-old daughter, who left for a routine sleepover with her father on September 26, 2025, never returned home. Marbouhi recounts that the following day, she received a shocking series of messages from her estranged husband, Ahmed Mohamed Shafik Abelfat Elgammal, indicating he had taken their daughter to Egypt. Despite a temporary court order in place that prohibited the father from removing the child from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, the order failed to prevent the abduction.
Marbouhi expressed her disbelief, stating, “I was shocked, I started crying. I honestly felt like I was dreaming.” She emphasized her trust in the legal system, only to discover significant gaps that allowed her daughter to be taken abroad without her consent. Women’s groups and family lawyers have long raised concerns over how easily a parent can abduct a child internationally, particularly to countries that are not signatories of The Hague Convention, which aims to prevent such abductions.
Pamela Cross, a lawyer and member of Ontario’s Domestic Violence Deaths Review Committee, advocated for a "red flag system" at international borders, highlighting the challenges of retrieving children from countries lacking agreements under The Hague Convention. Egypt is not a part of this convention, making the potential recovery of Marbouhi’s daughter even more complicated.
Throughout her eight-year marriage, Marbouhi repeatedly sought a divorce, but her husband refused to agree. It was only after relocating to Canada last year that she found the support needed to escape her difficult situation. In May 2025, a family court judge granted an interim non-removal order, underscoring the immediate danger of the child's removal. However, this order offered little protection once her estranged husband exercised his visitation rights.
Marbouhi described how her daughter typically spent Friday nights with her father and would return on Saturday. On September 27, when Marbouhi received the alarming texts from Elgammal, she promptly called 911. The police confirmed his residence was empty and that he had traveled to the airport, leading to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary issuing a warrant for Elgammal's arrest on charges of abduction in violation of the custody order.
Reportedly, Marbouhi is currently a non-citizen in Canada and faces uncertainties regarding her re-entry if she leaves the country. She stated, “I’m trying to stay strong, but it’s too hard. I need her, I need to be with her.” The Canada Border Services Agency noted that while there are protocols for entering the country, similar precautions do not exist for those departing. An Amber Alert was deemed unnecessary since the child was already outside of Canada when she was reported missing.
Cross emphasized the need for stricter scrutiny of child border crossings and coordination between federal and provincial authorities to prevent such abductions. Anuradha Dugal, executive director of Women’s Shelters Canada, echoed these sentiments, urging better enforcement of legal orders across jurisdictions.
Marbouhi voiced her frustration, wishing that someone in court had informed her about the enforcement limitations of the non-removal order. She expressed her fears about the ease with which a child can vanish across international borders, calling it “terrifying.” The situation highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to protect children in custody disputes, especially when international travel is involved.
This unfortunate case not only sheds light on the vulnerabilities faced by parents but also raises questions about the existing legal frameworks and the effectiveness of current measures in place to secure the safety of children caught in such predicaments.
