A 14-year-old boy has lost a legal battle against his parents after they relocated him from London to Ghana for boarding school.
The teenager, described in court as shy, articulate, and passionate about cooking and football, claimed his parents deceived him into traveling to Ghana under the pretense of visiting a sick relative. He stated that had he known the true purpose of the trip, he would have refused to go.
The High Court in London heard that the parents made the decision out of concern that their son was being drawn into criminal activity. The boy, in contrast, argued that his life in Ghana felt like “hell” and expressed a strong desire to return to England.
In his ruling, Mr. Justice Hayden acknowledged the challenging nature of the case but concluded that the parents’ decision was motivated by “deep, unconditional love” and a desire to protect their son from harm. He highlighted concerns about the boy’s potential involvement with gang culture and an unhealthy interest in knives. The boy’s father emphasized that they didn’t want their son to become “another black teenager stabbed to death” on London’s streets.
The boy, who has lived in the UK since birth, described feeling isolated, mocked, and unsettled at the Ghanaian boarding school, where language barriers and cultural differences led to conflicts. He recounted reaching out to the British High Commission in Accra and a charity for support, as he felt mistreated and desperate to return home.
The parents maintained that the move was a protective measure rather than a punishment, citing concerns raised by his school in London, which suspected the boy’s involvement in criminal activities.
In a statement following the court decision, the parents expressed their commitment to prioritizing their son’s well-being, while his legal representative, James Netto, said the outcome was a “real shock” for the teenager.
The case highlighted tensions surrounding parental responsibility and the growing phenomenon of young people seeking legal recourse to return to the UK from challenging situations abroad. For now, the court upheld the parents’ decision as an act of love and concern for their child’s future.
