A judge has asked the police to consider whether criminal proceedings can be brought against an Egyptian father who took his daughter from her British mother more than seven years ago.

All three were visiting Tamer Salama’s relatives in Egypt when the youngster was abducted in the resort of Sharm el Sheikh on 27 December 2011.

Elsa’s mother Naomi Button, a leadership consultant from Leeds, was forced to return to England alone and has not seen her daughter since.

She believes Elsa, now 12, has been living with Mr Salama’s mother in Egypt and has been fighting to get her daughter back through legal proceedings in the family division of the High Court in central London.

Mr Salama, who subsequently returned to England without Elsa and is now living in Manchester, was jailed in January 2012 for refusing to comply with court orders to return Elsa to her mother or reveal where she was.

He was released in December 2013 after a High Court judge ruled continuing to keep him in prison was no longer proportionate or justifiable.

Mr Justice Mostyn, who is currently overseeing the case at the High Court, said police should look into whether Mr Salama breached child abduction and perjury laws.

He said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick should see a copy of his latest ruling on Elsa’s case so she can consider what steps should be taken.

“It seems to me that while the father cannot be further punished for his contempt in continuing to refuse to reveal the whereabouts of Elsa and to cause her to return to England and Wales, it ought to be incumbent on the prosecuting authorities to consider criminal proceedings against him for at least two offences, namely conspiracy to commit (an) offence under section 2 of the Child Abduction Act 1984 and perjury,” he said in that ruling.

“I shall direct that a copy of this judgment is to be sent to the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police for her to consider what steps in this regard should be taken.”

In February, Mr Mostyn asked the Foreign Office to help find Elsa.

Two months later, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the judge Egyptian government ministers had been asked to help find the youngster.

At the latest court hearing, Mr Mostyn said the child had not yet been traced, but he appreciated the efforts of everyone involved.

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