Court Sides with Parents Who 'Tricked' Son into Ghanaian Boarding School From London

 

A 14-year-old boy has lost a legal battle against his parents after they sent him from London to a boarding school in Ghana, citing concerns about his safety and potential involvement in criminal activities.

The teenager claimed his parents tricked him into traveling to Africa under the pretense of visiting a sick relative. He told the court that had he known the real reason, "there would have been no way I would have agreed to it."

"I Feel Like I Am Living in Hell"

In a written statement to the High Court in London, the boy expressed his distress:

"I feel like I am living in hell. I really do not think I deserve this, and I want to come home, back to England, as soon as possible."

Having lived in the UK since birth, he struggled to adjust to life in Ghana, claiming he was mocked by peers and frequently got into fights. He also said he found it difficult to understand the school’s teaching methods.

Feeling desperate, the teenager reached out to the British High Commission in Accra and contacted the charity Children and Families Across Borders, which helped him connect with legal representation.

In an emotional plea, he wrote:

"I am from London, England, and I want to go back home."

He further alleged mistreatment at the school and begged to return to his previous school in the UK.

During the hearing, the boy’s parents defended their decision, arguing that they acted out of "deep, obvious, and unconditional love" for their son. They insisted that their concerns about his potential involvement in gang culture and criminal activity left them with no other choice but to send him to Ghana for his own safety.

His father told the judge:

"We did not want our son to be yet another Black teenager stabbed to death on the streets of London."

The mother echoed similar fears, citing the tragic case of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa, who was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich in January. She described the move as "not a punishment, but a measure to protect him."

In his ruling, Mr. Justice Hayden acknowledged the complexity of the case, calling it both "sobering and rather depressing." However, he sided with the parents, ruling that returning the boy to the UK could expose him to greater harm.

The judge noted that while the boy denied being in a gang, evidence presented in court suggested he displayed several risk factors linked to criminal exploitation. This included being absent from school, having unexplained money, and possessing expensive clothing and multiple mobile phones.

His father’s lawyer, Rebecca Foulkes, also pointed out that the teenager met 11 out of the NSPCC’s checklist indicators for gang involvement.

Following the ruling, the parents released a statement:

"This has been a really difficult time for us all. Our priority has always been protecting our son, and our focus now is on moving forward as a family."

While the teenager remains in Ghana, this case highlights the difficult choices some parents feel compelled to make in order to protect their children from potential dangers in their environment.