Justice not responsible

Ex-husband keeps Lily (8) and Noah (6) in Egypt

Liza Ulitzka wanted to escape a religious fanatic with her children - then her children were abducted.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Zwefo Liza Ulitzka)

Liza Ulitzka is desperate. Her ex-husband has gone into hiding in Egypt with both children. At the beginning of December, the second shock: the local justice system does not consider itself responsible: Prosecution is "inadmissible for legal reasons".

The toys are still where Lily (8) and Noah (6) left them in the children's room in July. At the start of the summer vacation, they set off with their father to Egypt - his family's home country - for three weeks. But Lily and Noah never came back. Since then, there has been no trace of the children - both Austrian citizens.

Liza Ulitzka is desperate and speaks of kidnapping. She and her husband are now divorced and she has sole custody. But the Austrian state does not feel responsible.

He told me: "You've lost everything." At that moment, I realized that he would never bring her back. The feeling is worse than dying.

Die zweifache Mutter Liza Ulitzka

A life between cultures
But let's get back to the story: initially, the life of Liza Ulitzka and her husband resembled a picture-book family between cultures. In 2011, the Viennese journalist met the budding dentist in Egypt during the Arab Spring protests. Their common struggle brought them together. Marriage. Move to Austria. Own dental practice and two children. Until the year 2023.

Lily and Noah are currently believed to be in Egypt.(Bild: Liza Ulitzka, Krone KREATIV)

Gradually more radical
In an interview with Die Krone, Ulitzka describes how her husband gradually slipped into a rigid religious fervor. Preachers, prayers, guidelines, prohibitions. Even cartoon characters with pigs were forbidden. The daughter was no longer allowed to wear shorts. Everyday routines were religiously charged. One sentence from her husband particularly stuck in the Viennese woman's mind: "You must obey God - and I am your God on this earth."

Liza calls for help on Facebook.(Bild: Facebook, Krone KREATIV)

Man as God on earth and Bible burning
Another low point: a planned Bible burning in the garden. By then it was clear that normal interaction was no longer possible. The situation escalated further. After an argument, the police had to intervene and ordered her to leave. At the end of last year, the Viennese woman - now alone with the children - started divorce proceedings. Nevertheless, she held on to the hope of settling the separation without years of war. "I wanted it to be fair and bearable for the children," says Ulitzka.

In spring 2025, a vacation arrangement was agreed in court: Three weeks with the father in Egypt with his family, returning on July 19. Ulitzka had reservations, but made the agreement anyway because she didn't want any further escalation. A mistake, as it turned out. Since then, there has been no trace of the children. Ulitzka: "I flew to Egypt several times. I only came up against a wall of silence."

Liza Ulitzka with the memories of her children. They have been in Egypt since the start of the summer vacation.(Bild: Zwefo)

No Austrian jurisdiction
The divorce has now been finalized. The court awarded her sole custody. With the judgment and new hope in her luggage, she filed a complaint for child abduction. Now the shock: on December 1, 2025, she receives a letter from the Vienna public prosecutor's office. The investigation was dropped. Reason: The children had "already been in Egypt at the time of the withdrawal of custody"; the "concealment by an Egyptian national in Egypt" therefore did not fall under Austrian jurisdiction.

Ulitzka no longer understands the world: "So the state doesn't seem to care about two Austrian children in Egypt. Now the Egyptian authorities are my last hope of ever seeing my children again."