“The case is being closely followed by Italy’s diplomatic network, with the embassy in Cairo and the consulates providing legal and administrative assistance and direct support to the woman and her daughter.”

“This was confirmed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who explained: “We are following the case with particular care; our ambassador in Cairo has been monitoring both the mother and the daughter. After all, there has been a ruling handed down in that country. We will see what can be done, in the hope that the judgment may change at the third level of appeal.””

“There is, however, a clear limitation: the case is unfolding within the Egyptian jurisdiction and involves both a criminal trial and a local family court case. This means Italy can provide assistance and exert diplomatic pressure, but cannot intervene directly in court decisions.”

“In 2018, for instance, an Egyptian court granted custody of a girl to a foreign mother after a long legal battle with her Egyptian ex-husband.”

“In that case, the judges dismissed the man’s allegations – he claimed the woman wanted to take their daughter abroad – and ruled that the mother could keep the child with her, but under specific conditions, such as a ban on leaving the country and an obligation not to remarry.”

“As a rule, the mother keeps custody in the child’s early years, but she can lose it if she is deemed “unfit”, if she remarries or if she runs into legal trouble.”

“The story of little Shenouda, for example, showed how custody decisions can hinge on legal, religious and administrative factors: the boy was taken from the family that had brought him up and placed in state care after a legal dispute over his identity, before further court rulings reopened the case.”