I’m worried sick about my friend after her son was abducted and taken to Egypt
DEAR DEIDRE: MY friend is in a mess after her son was abducted by his nanny and taken to Egypt.
She has always had a problem with alcohol and at one point her son was taken into care. She got her son back and because of work, she employed a nanny.
My friend is divorced from her husband. She is 42. Her son is just nine years old.
My friend came back from work one day to find her house empty and her son’s clothes and a few toys were missing.
She didn’t give the nanny permission to take him away.
Later the nanny sent my friend a message telling her where her son was and that he wouldn’t be returning to the UK. They have since changed his identity.
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My friend has a lawyer who is working closely with the courts but it can be quite difficult at times.
She has spent thousands of pounds so far. She has started drinking heavily and I am worried about her.
She is very fragile and emotional but denies she has an alcohol problem. I want to support her but I am struggling.
When she is drunk she often blacks out. She can become violent and she has even slapped me once.
She is not helping herself and I worry she is going to harm herself and her legal case if she carries on like this.
MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE
DEIDRE SAYS: Your friend’s nanny has acted illegally. Not only has she broken your friend’s trust, but she has also acted cruelly and selfishly.
Please contact Action Against Abduction (), which works to help bring children home.
You can also try Reunite International (, 01162 556 234), which is another UK-based charity that specialises in international parental child abduction.
Please don’t give up on your friend who is clearly in a bad way. You can’t stop her drinking but talk to her when she is sober about her behaviour.
My support pack Dealing With A Problem Drinker explains more.