Woman Who Took Children To Turkey Jailed

Wednesday, 24 February 2016 13:33

A woman from London who took her four children to Kilis - a city on the border of Turkey and Syria - has been convicted for child abduction.

She was immediately sentenced to three years' imprisonment.

Southwark Crown Court heard how Zahera Tariq, 33 of Waltham Forest left the UK with her children on 25 August 2015, while her husband was at work.

When he discovered they were gone, he reported them missing - unaware Tariq had taken the children on a flight from London City Airport to Amsterdam.

From there, Tariq took the children on a flight to Istanbul, arriving in the early hours of 26 August, after which she and the children travelled across Turkey.

By 29 August, they had arrived at Kilis, where Turkish authorities stopped the Tariq.

Tariq and her children were repatriated to the UK. Upon arrival at Luton Airport, she was arrested on suspicion of child abduction by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command (SO15).

Tariq told Southwark Crown Court that she was taking the children to Kilis to meet there with her sister who is living in Syria; however, she had not booked return tickets.

She pleaded not guilty to four counts of abducting a child but was found guilty on all counts, following a week-long trial.

Commander Dean Haydon, from the Counter Terrorism Command, said:

"I would like to praise the Turkish authorities for their vigilance and action in stopping the woman and her children, who were close to the Syrian border at the time. The children, who were returned to the UK, are now safe and well."

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