Urgent advice - domestic violence towards sister living abroad

[jollyboysmum]

Can anyone offer practical advice, please? My sister lives in Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh, not Cairo) and has been married to a local man for approx 27 years. She has 5 children, her husband has always been violent towards her, punching and kicking her in front of the children and locking her in. Now he has thrown her out, she has no money, nowhere to go, and he has the passports. She will not leave without her youngest daughter (8 yrs old.) Does anyone know of a women's refuge in Sharm el Sheikh, or Embassy/consulate as these are in Cairo (8 hours away). She has left him in the past and needs his permission to travel with the children without her husband. She was detained at the airport until the security guards spoke to him on the phone to confirm she was not leaving without his permission. Urgent advice required.

Read this with my heart in my mouth! So glad they are home. Good luck to you all for the future.

Mumsnet at it's best again for the support and advice offered.

Fantastic, Im so pleased for you all,

Goodluck for the future

A lurker writes: thank all the Powers for that. I've been checking this thread almost hourly for updates. Her life imprisonment is over.

oh my goodness, so glad it went well for them both. What happened at security in the end, did they pass through unquestioned?

I have no experience of this type of awful situation so really didn't feel able to offer any advice. Do you think there is any real possibility that the father or someone else from his family might try to locate the dd and take her back? Perhaps your sister might consider a name-change. Don't know if that is paranoid on my part...

That is FABULOUS news! Your DSis can hold her head high. It takes a HUGE amount of courage and bravery to go what she went through and keep calm enough to make her escape. If she can survive this, she can survive anything. xxx

Fantastic news!!!

So happy for you and your family. Big sighs of relief all round

Best of luck for the future xxx

fantastic

O h D I N G D O N G !!!!

Another one SAFE! Phew!

Thank goodness for that, Thank most of all to you jollyboysmum, you really came through for her. What an awesome sister you are.

As I said, just let her sit for a while, focus on getting the 8yo in a good school, focus on getting her somewhere to live. These are the things that will keep her going, get her settled into what needs to be done. The time where she may need more emotional support will probably come later. Sure there will be the immediate release from recent events, but this will take time to fully resonate.

WA has the freedom programme, she may benefit from that, I hear it's good, although have not felt the need to look into myself just yet.

She may suffer PTSD, watch for signs of that, anxiety too. Just tell her no matter what she finds herself going through, she's home now, and everything can be helped/treated. For now, just enjoy having her home, and give her a great big hug from all of us here eh?

Well done to all of you. You ROCK!

Amazing news. am so happy for you all

Wonderful news!!!

Fantastic news Jolly, what an awesome sister you are

Been lurking, am so delighted for your sister and her children. Well done OP x

thats great news that she is home what a brave women your sister is and its great that she has a wonderful family to support her x

I'm so glad shes back safe.
I hope she copes ok. I imagine she will struggle knowing she left her other children however brainwashed they are. I'm glad she has you to give her support because I'm sure she'll need it.

I have no experience of this so my advice might be wrong but maybe ity would be better to get your niece to start school in September. It is always easier to settle in at a beginning of a term and it could give her time to adjust. Maybe start with a holiday club to get used to making friends then have a fresh start.

Good work! Hope they are OK.

Good luck for the other daughter too. :)

littleducks, holiday club is a brilliant idea!

Will your DN who is 25 stay in the situation she is in? Please do not answer if it woud be a danger to her. It seems very unfair that she is supporting the family, which includes at least two adult males. Can she leave the country on her own or does she need a man to allow it? (that is hard to write!)

Jolly, that is great news. I am so relieved that they are safe and sound.

Hi HansieMom, now they have made a break DN (25yo) has managed to rent a flat and so leave the family home. Having chatted today with my sister it seems she may stay if her father doesn't attempt to harm her, or she may got to Dubai where a friend is working. I have heard a little of what home life is like, and I am so so so pleased they are out of there. No one should have to live like that.

I've been lurking...and I am soooo pleased for you all. Sounds like the eldest dd has her head screwed on the right way and she'll be able to look after herself, though I guess your sis would rather have her there with her.

Your poor, poor sis, what an awful time she's had.

Sending hugs for all.

Just saw this and I am so glad your dear sister and dear niece managed to get to you. I wish them luck and good fortune in their future life.

I am so glad they are safe, well done jollyboysmum and good luck to your sister and neice for the coming weeks and months.

Thank God! Delighted to hear it. DN is hoping that her own father won't attempt to harm her - says a lot about that society. Hope things work out speedily for her too.