An Australian woman trying to return her daughter home has been left helpless due to a travel ban placed on her daughter by the woman’s estranged husband.

Amaal Finn claims that her five year old daughter Zareen was forced to stay with her father Mazen Baioumy’s family against her will. Baoiumy, a resident of Melbourne, placed the travel ban on his daughter in August of 2013 in an attempt to prevent his daughter from leaving the country, leaving Finn trapped in Egypt until she can find a way to return her daughter home. This is despite the fact that an Egyptian court ordered Baoiumy to lift the travel ban last year.

The Australian government has told Amaal that they are powerless to help her, with the Department of Foreign Affairs claiming that it has “no standing” to help Australian nationals struggling with court systems in other countries. The Australian embassy in Cairo, however, has provided Finn with assistance in finding legal counsel in Egypt.

Finn has two other children; a daughter aged 14, and a son aged 12, waiting for her at home in Melbourne. The two children have not seen their mother or sister in over a year.