A 14-year-old boy has lost a legal battle against his parents after challenging their decision to send him from London to a boarding school in Ghana.
The teenager told the High Court in London that his parents had tricked him into traveling to Ghana under the pretext of visiting a sick relative. He said if he had known he was being sent to school there, “there would have been no way I would have agreed to it,” BBC reports.
In a written statement, he described his experience as unbearable. “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.”
However, his parents argued that they made the decision to protect him from gang involvement and violence in London. His father told the court, “We didn’t want him to become yet another black teenager stabbed to death in the streets of London.”
Court Rules in Favour of Parents
The court heard that the boy’s school in the UK had concerns about his behaviour, noting that he wore expensive clothes, had multiple mobile phones, and showed signs of being drawn into gang culture. The children’s charity NSPCC had also identified 11 warning signs of gang involvement in his case, including skipping school, having unexplained money, and carrying weapons.
Despite this, the boy insisted he was not involved in any criminal activity. “I have never been part of a gang, nor involved in gangs in any way,” he said.
Mr Justice Hayden ruled that the parents had acted out of love and concern for their son’s safety, stating that returning him to the UK could expose him to greater harm.
Struggles in Ghana
Since being enrolled in the Ghanaian boarding school, the teenager said he has struggled to fit in, claiming he was mocked by other students and frequently got into fights. He also found it difficult to follow lessons and felt his education was suffering.
“I want to have an education again and grow up like a normal person. I feel like my brain is hurt here. I feel like now I am dumber than people I used to be smarter than,” he wrote.
Desperate to return to the UK, he reached out to the British High Commission in Accra and a charity, which helped him get legal representation.
His mother, however, defended their decision, saying, “This was not a punishment but a measure to protect him.” She referenced the murder of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa, who was recently stabbed to death in London, calling it “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
Family Looks to the Future
The boy’s father, who recently visited Ghana, said they toured another boarding school where his son could transfer in September. However, the boy has not indicated whether he is willing to attend.
Following the ruling, his parents expressed their hope for reconciliation. “This has been a really difficult time for us all,” they said in a statement. “Our priority has always been protecting our son, and our focus now is on moving forward as a family.”
Meanwhile, the boy’s legal team said the judgment had come as a “real shock” to him, and he was considering his next steps. Lawyers have also reported a rise in similar cases, with teenagers seeking legal intervention to return to the UK after being sent abroad by concerned parents.
The post 14-year-old boy loses case against parents after they moved him from London to Ghana to go to boarding school appeared first on MyNewsGh.
