Kuwait and Italy have become involved in a custody battle over a twelve-year old girl who sought refuge in the Italian embassy in Kuwait.

The girl, identified only as Erica, comes from a marriage between an Egyptian man and an Italian woman who are now divorced.

Erica arrived at the Italian embassy three weeks ago and vowed not to leave unless she was allowed to live with her mother.

An Egyptian court had ruled that she should live with her father, a ruling upheld in Kuwait.

The BBC Rome correspondent says the case has generated huge interest in Italy.

Italian newspapers say it demonstrates the difficulties of cross-cultural marriages.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service