UK Teenager Sues Parents After Being Enrolled in African Boarding School Amid Concerns Over Gang Involvement
A 13-year-old boy has initiated legal proceedings against his parents, claiming they “brutally” took him overseas to enroll him in a boarding school and subsequently abandoned him there. The boy, who remains unnamed for legal reasons, contacted the British Consulate and a child welfare organization after his parents left him at an institution in Africa and returned to the UK.
The legal representatives for the boy argue that he has been “physically and emotionally abandoned” after his parents expressed concern over his potential involvement with gangs in London, an allegation the teenager strongly denies. During a court hearing that commenced on Tuesday, his legal team sought a judge’s order for his return to the UK, where he has lived since birth.
In contrast, the father’s legal team defended the decision to send the boy abroad, asserting that it was a valid exercise of parental responsibility. Deirdre Fottrell KC, representing the boy, stressed that the parents believed there were no other options to mitigate the perceived risks than to remove him from the country entirely.
Fottrell stated, “The measures this boy, just shy of 14, has undertaken to rectify the dire circumstances he finds himself in are extreme.” She argued that there is substantial evidence suggesting the boy is suffering emotionally and psychologically, and perhaps even physically, in the environment to which he has been subjected, labeling the parents’ choice to abandon him as “extraordinary.”
The boy’s assertion that he is not involved in any gang activities is unequivocal, according to Fottrell, who pointed out that the dangers feared by his parents—like the possibility of being stabbed or shot—are not likely should he return to the UK. Described by the court as “polite and articulate,” the boy has a keen interest in football and cooking.
Fottrell detailed how the boy was enrolled in a foreign school without prior notice or consultation, under the guise of visiting a sick relative. Upon arrival, his parents left him there, which Fottrell called “stark and quite brutal,” citing the boy’s accounts of receiving “inadequate” food and education, as well as mistreatment. The boy has expressed feelings of humiliation, especially as he faced mockery from his English friends for being “deported” to Africa.
Amidst the proceedings, Fottrell highlighted that the boy’s mother has acknowledged physically disciplining him during their time in the UK. Reports indicate that he is “upset, confused, and distressed,” despite him recognizing his own flaws.
During the hearing, Judge Mr. Justice Hayden remarked on the “incredibly restrictive” measures the boy was subjected to in the UK, including GPS monitoring of his movements, which he suggested would be intolerable for most adolescents.
Representing the father, lawyer Rebecca Foulkes referred to reports from social workers detailing difficulties in managing the boy’s behavioral issues before his departure from the UK. She cited examples of physical aggression from the mother in her attempts to handle his conduct.
Foulkes also mentioned that the boy often arrived late for classes, stayed out late, and had been suspected of engaging in criminal conduct. The school expressed concerns regarding his social vulnerability, having noted that he owned expensive items and that his phone contained images of knives and friends posing with weapons.
From the father’s viewpoint, there was a noticeable decline in the boy’s behavior, veering toward criminality. Foulkes argued that the parents had genuine worries about their son’s whereabouts and associations. She contended that the boy could receive “high-quality care and education” in Africa, where the perceived risks he faced in the UK would be absent, and claimed that returning to the UK would waste his potential.
The court also heard arguments that the parents’ decision should be honored, as it was made in consideration of the boy’s best interests, even if it might not align with his personal desires. The hearing in front of Mr. Justice Hayden is expected to resume at a later date.
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