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| How Colonel Gaddafi helped to get my daughter back | How Colonel Gaddafi helped to get my daughter back |
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| Sarah Taylor did a double take when she came face-to-face with Muammar Gaddafi. "I didn't recognise him. I thought he would be a lot bigger," she says, "but he was not much taller than me, and I'm only 5ft 4in. I was looking right into his eyes. I was used to seeing massive pictures of him in military uniform all around Tripoli, but here he was, in a Bermuda-type shirt – yellow and blue, I think it was – some sort of chinos and messy hair, like he had just got out of bed." | Sarah Taylor did a double take when she came face-to-face with Muammar Gaddafi. "I didn't recognise him. I thought he would be a lot bigger," she says, "but he was not much taller than me, and I'm only 5ft 4in. I was looking right into his eyes. I was used to seeing massive pictures of him in military uniform all around Tripoli, but here he was, in a Bermuda-type shirt – yellow and blue, I think it was – some sort of chinos and messy hair, like he had just got out of bed." |
| When her ex-husband Fawzi abducted their daughter Nadia on her fourth birthday and took her to his native Libya, Sarah vowed to get her back, even if she had to go and see the president herself. | When her ex-husband Fawzi abducted their daughter Nadia on her fourth birthday and took her to his native Libya, Sarah vowed to get her back, even if she had to go and see the president herself. |
| Few people thought she'd do it. Yet just over a year after Fawzi took Nadia in May 2007, Sarah – a 36-year-old single mother from Wigan – found herself eating cake in one of the Libyan leader's underground bunkers on an army base in Tripoli, marvelling at the diminutive stature of one of the world's most unpredictable dictators. | Few people thought she'd do it. Yet just over a year after Fawzi took Nadia in May 2007, Sarah – a 36-year-old single mother from Wigan – found herself eating cake in one of the Libyan leader's underground bunkers on an army base in Tripoli, marvelling at the diminutive stature of one of the world's most unpredictable dictators. |
| She explained to Gaddafi's men that her ex had abducted their daughter. She explained that, after a long legal battle in a language she barely understood, a Libyan court had awarded her custody. The essentials were conveyed to the then Libyan leader, who had hopped on to an enormous throne so that he towered over the group. He made a few phone calls and minutes later, his head of protocol, Nuri al-Mismari, assured Sarah that Nadia would be sleeping at her side by midnight. | She explained to Gaddafi's men that her ex had abducted their daughter. She explained that, after a long legal battle in a language she barely understood, a Libyan court had awarded her custody. The essentials were conveyed to the then Libyan leader, who had hopped on to an enormous throne so that he towered over the group. He made a few phone calls and minutes later, his head of protocol, Nuri al-Mismari, assured Sarah that Nadia would be sleeping at her side by midnight. |
| Sarah, a HMRC adjudicator, had moved to the Libyan capital six months after her daughter was taken in a desperate bid to get her back. "I was always willing to do whatever it took," she says. | Sarah, a HMRC adjudicator, had moved to the Libyan capital six months after her daughter was taken in a desperate bid to get her back. "I was always willing to do whatever it took," she says. |
| A chance encounter with one of Gaddafi's personal assistants at a British embassy garden party in Tripoli in July 2008 led to an invitation to meet the leader. Within hours of the meeting, Fawzi had been arrested. Nadia, however, was nowhere to be seen. | A chance encounter with one of Gaddafi's personal assistants at a British embassy garden party in Tripoli in July 2008 led to an invitation to meet the leader. Within hours of the meeting, Fawzi had been arrested. Nadia, however, was nowhere to be seen. |
| Mother and daughter were only reunited 18 months later, on 21 December 2009, after Sarah persuaded the Libyan police to put Fawzi's family under surveillance. | Mother and daughter were only reunited 18 months later, on 21 December 2009, after Sarah persuaded the Libyan police to put Fawzi's family under surveillance. |
| Two days before, Sarah had been summoned to the office of Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, former Libyan head of state, who by then held a position in the security services. There she was shown footage taken of a girl the police thought might be Nadia. "I remember watching on a laptop and seeing a little girl wearing a headscarf coming out of school. Immediately I knew – it was Nadia," she says. | Two days before, Sarah had been summoned to the office of Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, former Libyan head of state, who by then held a position in the security services. There she was shown footage taken of a girl the police thought might be Nadia. "I remember watching on a laptop and seeing a little girl wearing a headscarf coming out of school. Immediately I knew – it was Nadia," she says. |
| The next day Sarah was taken to a police station in Tripoli, where she waited nervously. Suddenly, in walked Nadia with a female plain-clothes officer. | The next day Sarah was taken to a police station in Tripoli, where she waited nervously. Suddenly, in walked Nadia with a female plain-clothes officer. |
| "There she was!" Sarah recalls in her new book about the ordeal. "No longer a toddler, she had grown up into a little girl but she was still my baby. She was standing right in front of me, but I wasn't sure what to do." | "There she was!" Sarah recalls in her new book about the ordeal. "No longer a toddler, she had grown up into a little girl but she was still my baby. She was standing right in front of me, but I wasn't sure what to do." |
| Sarah had been warned by child psychologists to take things slowly. She knelt down and told Nadia she was her mummy. The child seemed to understand, but started talking in Arabic, saying she needed to go back to school to get her bag. | Sarah had been warned by child psychologists to take things slowly. She knelt down and told Nadia she was her mummy. The child seemed to understand, but started talking in Arabic, saying she needed to go back to school to get her bag. |
| After a hairy journey back to the embassy, Sarah says that some of Fawzi's family gave chase and tried to smash the ambassador's windscreen with what looked like the crossbar of a goalpost – Sarah and Nadia were finally safe. Soon they were playing hide and seek around the ambassador's swimming pool. | After a hairy journey back to the embassy, Sarah says that some of Fawzi's family gave chase and tried to smash the ambassador's windscreen with what looked like the crossbar of a goalpost – Sarah and Nadia were finally safe. Soon they were playing hide and seek around the ambassador's swimming pool. |
| Two months later, after many delays, they boarded a flight to Manchester. Sarah says Nadia seemed unfazed when she was told about their departure, asking simply, "Can we throw snowballs at Grandad?" | Two months later, after many delays, they boarded a flight to Manchester. Sarah says Nadia seemed unfazed when she was told about their departure, asking simply, "Can we throw snowballs at Grandad?" |
| The little girl had flourished in the ambassador's lavish compound, learning to swim and being taught English and maths by his wife. Three years later, Sarah and Nadia are back at home in Wigan, looking and sounding for all the world as if they have never been apart. | The little girl had flourished in the ambassador's lavish compound, learning to swim and being taught English and maths by his wife. Three years later, Sarah and Nadia are back at home in Wigan, looking and sounding for all the world as if they have never been apart. |
| Now nine, Nadia speaks with the same Lancastrian accent as her mother and can only remember how to count to 10 in Arabic. When we meet, Sarah has just returned from a parents' afternoon, beaming after the teachers gave Nadia a shining report. Her daughter seems remarkably unscathed by her experience in Libya. "I miss the hot weather," she says, wearing tights, boots and the sort of denim mini skirt she wasn't usually allowed to wear in Tripoli. | Now nine, Nadia speaks with the same Lancastrian accent as her mother and can only remember how to count to 10 in Arabic. When we meet, Sarah has just returned from a parents' afternoon, beaming after the teachers gave Nadia a shining report. Her daughter seems remarkably unscathed by her experience in Libya. "I miss the hot weather," she says, wearing tights, boots and the sort of denim mini skirt she wasn't usually allowed to wear in Tripoli. |
| "I miss my dad too. I don't hate him, He's still my dad. I love him, but I don't like what he did." She thinks she might like to see her father again one day but for now she is content to talk to him on the phone. | "I miss my dad too. I don't hate him, He's still my dad. I love him, but I don't like what he did." She thinks she might like to see her father again one day but for now she is content to talk to him on the phone. |
| In January, Greater Manchester police arranged for Nadia to talk to her father by phone – he has so far not taken up Sarah's invitations to visit Britain for supervised contact. "I was a bit nervous to speak to him again because it had been three years," says Nadia, who wants to be a singer or an actor when she grows up. "But it was fine. He spoke to me in English, asked how I was, how school was." | |
| She says she never forgot about her mother, and each night would look up at the sky over Libya and say, "Please, star, tell the moon to tell Mummy where my dad's hiding me so she can come and find me." | She says she never forgot about her mother, and each night would look up at the sky over Libya and say, "Please, star, tell the moon to tell Mummy where my dad's hiding me so she can come and find me." |
| In 2011, Nadia and Sarah were watching television together, looking at news footage of Libya burning. "She kept asking if her dad was OK," says Sarah. "I said, 'I'm sure he will be fine.'" | In 2011, Nadia and Sarah were watching television together, looking at news footage of Libya burning. "She kept asking if her dad was OK," says Sarah. "I said, 'I'm sure he will be fine.'" |
| But she realises things might have turned out differently. "We were very lucky in a very unlucky situation. I'm sitting here now at home with Nadia but if it had gone on 12 months longer, the situation in Libya would have deteriorated so badly that I might never have seen her again." | But she realises things might have turned out differently. "We were very lucky in a very unlucky situation. I'm sitting here now at home with Nadia but if it had gone on 12 months longer, the situation in Libya would have deteriorated so badly that I might never have seen her again." |
| She says she couldn't have got Nadia back without the help of Detective Superintendent Phil Owen of Greater Manchester police, who worked tirelessly on the case. Also key was her MP, Andy Burnham, who was health secretary during the ordeal. In June 2009, Burnham kept a promise to Sarah's parents to go and see her in Libya. | She says she couldn't have got Nadia back without the help of Detective Superintendent Phil Owen of Greater Manchester police, who worked tirelessly on the case. Also key was her MP, Andy Burnham, who was health secretary during the ordeal. In June 2009, Burnham kept a promise to Sarah's parents to go and see her in Libya. |
| In Tripoli, Burnham managed to arrange a meeting with his Libyan counterpart to discuss the case. He also asked Tony Blair, by then Middle East envoy, to pull strings. The following month, Gaddafi pitched his tent in L'Aquila, Italy, for the G8 summit, guarded by his all-female personal bodyguards dressed in blue and gold uniforms. Gordon Brown, then the British prime minister, raised Nadia's case in a private 45-minute meeting with Gaddafi. Afterwards, a Downing Street spokesman reported that the leader had "promised to consider Mr Brown's request that Nadia be returned to Britain". | In Tripoli, Burnham managed to arrange a meeting with his Libyan counterpart to discuss the case. He also asked Tony Blair, by then Middle East envoy, to pull strings. The following month, Gaddafi pitched his tent in L'Aquila, Italy, for the G8 summit, guarded by his all-female personal bodyguards dressed in blue and gold uniforms. Gordon Brown, then the British prime minister, raised Nadia's case in a private 45-minute meeting with Gaddafi. Afterwards, a Downing Street spokesman reported that the leader had "promised to consider Mr Brown's request that Nadia be returned to Britain". |
| It was yet another twist in a remarkable story that, perhaps not surprisingly, may soon be turned into a film (Channel 4 has long expressed an interest). Given the problems that she has experienced with her former husband, it may seem surprising that Sarah is choosing to go public again, now that she and Nadia are settled. | It was yet another twist in a remarkable story that, perhaps not surprisingly, may soon be turned into a film (Channel 4 has long expressed an interest). Given the problems that she has experienced with her former husband, it may seem surprising that Sarah is choosing to go public again, now that she and Nadia are settled. |
| But she feels a responsibility, she says, to warn others about the dangers of having children with a foreign-born partner – especially anyone who comes from a country, such as Libya, that is not a signatory to the Hague convention on child abduction, which theoretically makes it easier for abducted children to be returned home. "Child abduction is on the increase," she says – foreign office figures from December showed the number of children abducted and taken abroad by an estranged parent has risen by 88% in just under a decade. | But she feels a responsibility, she says, to warn others about the dangers of having children with a foreign-born partner – especially anyone who comes from a country, such as Libya, that is not a signatory to the Hague convention on child abduction, which theoretically makes it easier for abducted children to be returned home. "Child abduction is on the increase," she says – foreign office figures from December showed the number of children abducted and taken abroad by an estranged parent has risen by 88% in just under a decade. |
| "Too many children still never return. I got Nadia back by fighting and refusing to give in, and I want to give other people in my position the strength to never give up." | "Too many children still never return. I got Nadia back by fighting and refusing to give in, and I want to give other people in my position the strength to never give up." |
| • This article was amended on 12 February 2013 because the original referred to child access. This has been known as contact since the 1989 Children Act. |