Southampton Teacher Must Stay In Jail

3 July 2013, 13:14 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A teacher from Southampton, who refuses to tell his ex-wife where their six-year-old daughter is living, has been told he must remain in jail by a High Court judge.

Egyptian Tamer Salama, 35, "removed" Elsa Salama from the care of her English mother, Naomi Button, 39, of Leeds, while all three were visiting Egypt in December 2011, the High Court heard.

The girl is thought to be with his family in Egypt and Ms Button has not seen or heard from her for more than 18 months.

Ms Button, a leadership consultant, took legal action after Elsa vanished and Salama was jailed for breaching High Court orders to arrange the girl's return to England or to reveal where she was.

He was initially imprisoned in January last year, then in January this year a judge ruled that he should stay in jail because he was continuing to breach orders. On Tuesday another judge imposed a further six-month term after concluding that he was still in contempt.

Mr Justice Roderic Wood said he had no doubt that Salama could "cause" Elsa's return "should he wish to do so".

"He was shifty, evasive and plainly dishonest," said the judge after hearing evidence from Salama at a High Court hearing in London which began on Monday. "The egregious acts of the father are cruel beyond imagination."