Major developments in the case of a missing Welland girl and her mother.
Allana Haist is free on bail and her supporters gathered in Welland today wearing purple ribbons.
The 38 year old mother, who was the subject of a Canada-wide warrant last week was arrested this morning in Hamilton, and her 9 year old daughter was at first returned to her maternal grandparents, but has since been placed with her aunt.
Haist is charged with abduction by parent.
An Amber Alert was issued for Layla Sabry on Friday December 2nd after she was reported missing.
Police were asked to enforce an order issued by a Welland court that granted custody to her father, who lives in Egypt.
The two remained in hiding until this morning when Niagara Regional Police announced that they had been discovered in Hamilton.
A bail hearing was held in St.Catharines for Haist this morning.
Haist was released from custody on five-thousand dollars bail with conditions that include that she must surrender her passport, and not leave the province.
She will be back in court in February to face the abduction charge.
About 50 supporters also gathering this afternoon at the Welland courthouse to show their support for Haist.
Haist was in the courtroom as it was announced Layla will stay with her aunt (Layla's father's sister) in Welland.
The case will be heard again the week of January 23rd.
Haist cried openly.
A gofundme page has been set up to help Haist pay for legal fees in her custody dispute over her daughter.
It has raised close to 20-thousand dollars.
The page, which was created by her uncle Paul Dillon says now is the time to start asking real questions about Canada's legal system.
In the latest update on the gofundme, Dillon says:
"So Allana and Layla are back:
http://www.niagarapolice.ca/EN/News/index.aspx?newsId=b720df66-5697-44f7-b766-a5031eb9e963
Now it is time to ask some hard questions about what has just happened over the past few days and what will be happening in the coming weeks.
Something is amiss with our Canadian legal system. A frightened mother and daughter have been placed into a very dangerous situation by the ridiculous escalation of a child custody dispute into a Canada wide investigation.
Hard questions must be asked of the team of high priced lawyers that were allowed to swoop into the Welland court, file urgent motion after urgent motion, and escalate this case in an unsafe and reckless way.
Hard questions must be asked of the public relations firm that was hired to blacken Allana's reputation.
Hard questions must be asked of FACS who have not done due diligence on this case.
Hard questions must be asked for those responsible for issuing the amber alert for a purpose that it is clearly not intended for.
Hard questions must be asked of those responsible for issuing the federal warrant.
And finally, hard questions must be asked of a non Canadian citizen with a lot of money who has come to Canada and so thoroughly influenced our legal system and social support network.
Please join the Allana and her family today at 2pm at the Welland Courthouse. Let's start asking some hard questions...."