A child who was abducted by her mother and taken to Scotland will not be returned to the country of her birth.

The girl has lived in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, since being taken from her home in Portugal in December 2011.

Her father, who had joint custody when she was abducted, finally tracked them down in May last year.

He petitioned to the Court of Session to have her returned to Portugal.

The girl said she wanted to stay in Scotland, however, and judge Lady Wise refused to order her return.

"To require this girl to leave her home of several years and return to what she now feels is a foreign country would be contrary to her best interests," she said.

"Her strongly held views, coupled with the length of time she has been settled here, led to those interests prevailing."

The girl's mother claimed her father was a "violent and aggressive man".

A lawyer acting on his behalf said there was "no suggestion that [he] had anything other than a close, loving and supportive relationship with his daughter".