Sally Faulkner says painful goodbye to her children

SALLY Faulkner has kissed her two young children goodbye at a play centre — possibly for the last time in a long while.

SALLY Faulkner kissed and hugged her two young children — possibly for the last time in a long while — at a play centre in Beirut, far from the cramped prison cell she’s been in for the past fortnight as her botched child-recovery saga played out in the courts.

Forced to trade custody of Lahela, 5, and Noah, 3, for her freedom, Ms Faulkner ate ice cream with them before saying goodbye. “The visit was good, Sal had fun, the kids had fun, that’s all that matters,” her estranged husband Ali Elamine said outside the court later.

“She’s their mother and obviously they are going to enjoy time with her.”

There were no tears while the children were present, but their mother cried once they left, he said.

When asked whether it was right to separate the children from their mother, Mr Elamine replied: “No, no, we are discussing that, Sal and I, right now. If she is not here, she can Skype them and whenever she feels the need or wants to come over.”

Sally Faulkner leaves court in Beirut after being released from jail. Picture: ABC

He confirmed he won’t be letting the children go back to Australia any time soon, saying he wanted things to settle down. “Then maybe a few years down the line, yeah why not?” But he said he was open to a visit in a third country such as the United Arab Emirates or Cyprus.

Speaking to the Nine Network shortly after her release, Ms Faulkner said: “I love them and mummy’s sorry that it all worked out this way. I tried.

“I hope I can see them one day again in Australia, I really do.”

Ms Faulkner’s lawyer Ghassan Moughabghab confirmed that, under the custody agreement that secured her release, she could visit the children in Lebanon or a third country, but not in Australia.

Sally Faulkner with her two children, Noah, 4, and Lahela, 5.

Mr Elamine agreed to drop the personal charges against Ms Faulkner and the 60 Minutes TV crew, who were arrested with her, allowing them to be released on bail while investigations into the case continued.

Ms Faulkner’s time with the children on Thursday was her last chance to see them before returning to Australia, where her three-month-old baby and new partner await.

The visit was expected to take place in the office of Judge Rami Abdullah, who oversaw Mr Elamine’s decision to drop charges against his estranged wife, journalist Tara Brown and her crew, Ben Williamson, David Ballment and Stephen Rice.

However, Mr Elamine arrived without the children, and the visit ultimately took place under the supervision of an Australian Embassy official away from the court.

It is unclear when Ms Faulkner plans to leave Lebanon.

Tara Brown and Sally Faulkner after being released. Picture: Channel 9

The TV crew returned to Australia from Beirut on Thursday night and were met in Sydney by a media throng.

Ms Brown told reporters she was glad to be home, before the group was escorted to two vans waiting outside.

Judge Abdullah has warned the case against them would continue to be investigated.

If charges of kidnapping and being a member of a criminal gang were laid, they would be expected to return to Lebanon to face the court, he said.

60 Minutes journalist Tara Brown and producer Stephen Rice arrive at Sydney International Airport on Thursday night. Picture: Sam Mooy

Ms Faulkner spent nine months trying to regain custody of her children, who were taken to Lebanon for a three-week holiday by Mr Elamine and not returned, she says.

She and the Nine crew were arrested and jailed earlier this month after a child-recovery team seized the children from a Beirut street as they were walking with their Lebanese grandmother. The case against the two men heading the recovery team, dual Australian-British citizen Adam Whittington and Briton Craig Michael, is ongoing.

Both men were questioned by Judge Abdullah on Thursday before being taken back to their cells.

Two Lebanese men involved in the April 6 abduction plot are also facing charges.