₦airaland Forum

A teenager who was tricked into going to boarding school in Africa has won a significant legal victory against his own parents.

The 14-year-old boy, who cannot be identified, was taken from London to Ghana in March 2024 after being told a relative was ill.

In fact, his parents wanted to get him out of London as they feared he was being drawn into criminal activity.

Unhappy and homesick in Ghana, the boy found lawyers and brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London, which ruled against him in February. On Thursday, he won a Court of Appeal bid, so the case will be reheard.

The most senior judge in the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, said there had been confusion in the previous decision.

"We have become more and more concerned as to the exercise the judge undertook," he added.

"For those reasons - we are agreed remittal should be allowed."

He urged the family to find a solution through constructive dialogue.

At the hearing, the boy's barrister, Deirdre Fottrell KC, said he is "desperate" to return to the UK.

"He is culturally displaced and alienated," she said.

"He considers himself abandoned by his family. He feels he is a British boy, a London boy."

The boy remains in Ghana and has been attending a day school there.

His solicitor, James Netto, described the appeal ruling as a "hugely significant" decision that would "resonate across international family law."

He said: "We are very pleased indeed that the Court of Appeal has allowed our client's appeal, and has recognised the critical importance of listening to and assessing the voices of young people at the heart of legal proceedings that profoundly affect their lives."

The parents' barrister, Rebecca Foulkes, said that staying in Ghana was the "least harmful" option for the boy.

"The parents found themselves in a wholly invidious decision when they made the decision they made," she said.

"Ghana provided a safe haven, separate from those who exposed him to risk.

"The least harmful option is for him to remain in Ghana."

At the heart of the case is the tension between conflicting legal entitlements - the parents' responsibility for their child, and the child's own rights to make decisions about what happens to them.

The High Court had ruled the parents could send the boy to Ghana. But the Court of Appeal found that judge had not taken sufficient account of the boy's own best interests and welfare, given he had recognised the boy was mature enough to make certain decisions for himself.

The boy previously told the court that he felt like he was "living in hell".

He said he was "mocked" at the school in Ghana and "could also barely understand what was going on".

During the previous judgment, High Court judge Mr Justice Hayden said the parents' wish for their son to move to Ghana was "driven by their deep, obvious and unconditional love".

He found that the boy, who had lived in the UK since birth, was at risk of suffering greater harm by returning to London.

He said that the boy's parents believe "and in my judgement with reason" that their son has "at very least peripheral involvement with gang culture and has exhibited an unhealthy interest in knives".

Sir Andrew said the case will now be reheard by a different judge, with the next hearing planned to take place in the next few weeks.

A full decision will be given in writing at a later date.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyg0p88z83o

This is good News! No be everyone supposed become parents. 🤔

If the kid is returned, it will be brutal. I hope the state will take responsibility for however he turns out.

I believe the parents have their own reasons. I also believe he's old enough to understand that the parents want a better life for him. If he feels he's being maltreated, and wants to return to the UK, make him understand the risks. If he goes back to be with those friends (that I'm trying to separate him from), whatever happens to him is on him. Wherever he ends up in life, would be his own life's decision. I'll only do what I can do as a parent, and not do any extra; as he made his bed, so should he lie on it.

RandomFellow:
I believe the parents have their own reasons. I also believe he's old enough to understand that the parents want a better life for him. If he feels he's being maltreated, and wants to return to the UK, make him understand the risks. If he goes back to be with those friends (that I'm trying to separate him from), whatever happens to him is on him. Wherever he ends up in life, would be his own life's decision. I'll only do what I can do as a parent, and not do any extra; as he made his bed, so should he lie on it.

You won't do extra for your pikin
Okay dey play
Na nairaland 40 words content make me add the last 2 lines .

RandomFellow:
✓ I believe the parents have their own reasons. I also believe he's old enough to understand that the parents want a better life for him. If he feels he's being maltreated, and wants to return to the UK, make him understand the risks. If he goes back to be with those friends (that I'm trying to separate him from), whatever happens to him is on him. Wherever he ends up in life, would be his own life's decision. I'll only do what I can do as a parent, and not do any extra; as he made his bed, so should he lie on it.

The parents are not good, simple and short. The boy understood this fact and went to the courts to force them to do better. We are talking about a 14-year-old boy abandoned in Ghana — third world— by his folks, fighting in the UK courts for his right.

Saltandmaggi:
You won't do extra for your pikin
Okay dey play
Na nairaland 40 words content make me add the last 2 lines .

He's rolling with bad gangs. He's probably grown wings, and beyond control; hence the reason they had to "deceive" him to go to Ghana.

Me saying I won't do extra is based on him going against my best advice. Of course, I won't harm him; if I say school in Nigeria or Cameroon, it's what I think is best for him. But if he decides to go back to the UK for example, he's free. But if he gets into trouble, I ain't going out of my way to sort his shii. He'll also be an adult in 4 years time (18 years). He should prepare to move out too if he continues with those bad companies... Let him not come and corrupt his younger ones.

It's actually a choice. Stay in Africa, where I as your father have people that can help me to train you to become a better person for yourself. Or go back to the UK, continue with your "bad friends", and I won't have the time to make you a better person (because I have to work my arse out to fend for you and your siblings). Make a choice; but live by the outcome of the choice you made

Kobojunkie:
The parents are not good parents..simple and short. The boy understood this fact and went to the courts to force them to do better.

This is another perspective... But i think the 14year old is already going rogue

In fact, his parents wanted to get him out of London as they feared he was being drawn into criminal activity.

RandomFellow:
✓ This is another perspective... But i think the 14year old is already going rogue

Dumping a child in another country because you assume the child to have gone rogue is a solution to what exactly? Aren't there child rogues in that country where you sent the child to? Do all children raised in the host country all turn out great citizens and non-criminal elements? So, of what measurable gain is this act of clear child abandonment, abeg?

Kobojunkie:
Dumping a child in another country because you assume the child to have gone rogue is a solution to what exactly? Aren't there child rogues in that country where you sent the child to? Do all children raised in the host country all turn out great citizens and non-criminal elements? So, of what measurable gain is this act of clear child abandonment, abeg?

If I feel my child has become entangled with bad friends (as is the case in this post), and in a country where it is a crime to give corporal punishment... I might as well send him to where flogging or punishment is not a crime! Gentle parenting (or whatever the failed parents call it these days) doesn't work for everyone!

Spare the rod, and spoil the child!
Proverbs 22:15: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him".


You're 14, and already engaging in criminal activities? Seriously? And I cannot even correct you (as your dad)? I can't make you change if you don't want to; because it will be term child endangerment and physical assault?

I'll give African training a chance. If it fails, and he still became a criminal... Well, at least I tried my best. He was already a criminal in the UK!

Kobojunkie:
This is good News! No be everyone supposed become parents. 🤔

What do u know about parenting?
U want them to keep raising the child in an environment where u cannot discipline the child and then u have teenage gangs and he was already having "an unhealthy interest in knives" .. the parents should make sure that boy stays in Ghana under a disciplinarian uncle and go to a day School not boarding school.. what sort of useless system is England running for a court to be considering giving a child independence ?

being:
✓ What do u know about parenting? U want them to keep raising the child in an environment where u can discipline the child and then u have teenage gangs and he was already having "an unhealthy interest in knives" .. ✓ the parents should make sure that boy stays in Ghana under a disciplinarian uncle and go to a day School not boarding school..
✓ what sort of useless system is England running for a court to be considering giving a child independence ?

1. By this, you assume then that all children raised in ghettos turn out knife-wielders and gangsters, whereas all children raised elsewhere turn out the opposite? Cut the bull, abeg! 🙄🙄🙄

2. Thankfully, the courts have ruled otherwise, meaning either the parents themselves move back to Ghana with their son to live, or facilitate his move back to the UK to be with them. 🤔

3. Is a system that upholds the rights of a child useless? Why am I not surprised this is coming from a Nigerian? 🙄🙄🙄

The tension in that house right now. We are in Africa complaining about Gen Z but we really don't know our own GenZ is the best till you meet cases like this where your own child can eat on the table and say HEY DAD, COME GET THE DISHES while he watches TV.

AllBlack:
✓ The tension in that house right now. We are in Africa complaining about Gen Z but we really don't know our own GenZ is the best till you meet cases like this where your own child can eat on the table and say HEY DAD, COME GET THE DISHES while he watches TV.

Your blg Gen Z is the best? Who fed you lot this crock of bull abeg! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

AllBlack:
➜Yesso your kid sis fed me all of if from that her tiny titties full of BS. Ask her since you feel your comments are supreme and others are not then you should go open your own website and mastűrrrrbąyte on it. You should have known that there is something called perspective and personal experience, but obviously, you can't relate.

O'boy! I think you forgot to take your medication today.... it is showing!🙄🙄🙄

being:
What do u know about parenting?
U want them to keep raising the child in an environment where u can discipline the child and then u have teenage gangs and he was already having "an unhealthy interest in knives" .. the parents should make sure that boy stays in Ghana under a disciplinarian uncle and go to a day School not boarding school.. what sort of useless system is England running for a court to be considering giving a child independence ?

When another judge rehear the case and rules the boy be brought back to London, the parents MUST do so and a high chance, the boy will be placed in foster care while there would be work on rebuilding his relationship with his parents.

Not all children that grow up in western countries, even in their rough inner city ghetto's, turn out bad.

When the boy was younger and at the age range he could be moulded, parents would be out working day and night to build mansions in Ghana.

When boy starts behaving badly at school or in the area, as there is no proper moral guidance at home due to picking overtime shift here and there by parents, and because no one else is allowed to tell the boy off, the boy starts to feel entitled and starts getting out of control.

By the time boy becomes a teenager, he has made a choice to be in the streets running with gangs. The descent to lawlessness for the boy didn't start today even though the belated attempt to stem the tide is somewhat commendable.

There are parents abroad that make a positive effort to guide their children educationally and morally, even in those mean inner city streets, but they have to sacrifice a lot to do so.

By the way, this is not about beating a child, it's about making time to know them in their formative years.

Mindlog:
When another judge rehear the case and rules the boy be brought back to London, the parents MUST do so and a high chance, the boy will be placed in foster care while there would be work on rebuilding his relationship with his parents.

If the parents have other younger kids, they should make sure the boy doesn't return to their home. He's a bad influence. Let him stay at the foster home sef and get adopted to another family from there. Maybe, by then, he'll appreciate their sacrifice and efforts in making him a responsible person for the future.

RandomFellow:
If the parents have other younger kids, they should make sure the boy doesn't return to their home. He's a bad influence. Let him stay at the foster home sef and get adopted to another family from there. Maybe, by then, he'll appreciate their sacrifice and efforts in making him a responsible person for the future.

The London borough (local government) where the parents live will have a final say on that, whether the boy would stay with the parents or not and not the parents....it will involve MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) where many professionals get involved in making that DECISION!

The MASH involves the Police, social workers, Independent Review Officers, Personal advisor to the child, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), Clinical Practitioner (my role), Education officer etc.

As an immigant parent here in London, like every other place in the UK, do everything humanly possible not to have a social worker or police knocking at your door because of your child....once a child has been taken away from their parents by children services, his/her siblings also faces same possibility as there would be focus on that family.

Mindlog:
The London borough (local government) where the parents live will have a final say on that, whether the boy would stay with the parents or not and not the parents....it will involve MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) where many professionals get involved in making that DECISION!

The MASH involves the Police, social workers, Independent Review Officers, Personal advisor to the child, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), Clinical Practitioner (my role), Education officer etc.

As an immigant parent here in London, like every other place in the UK, do everything humanly possible not to have a social worker or police knocking at your door because of your child....once a child has been taken away from their parents by children services, his/her siblings also faces same possibility as there would be focus on that family.

Lol... Let them knock na. I didn't say the others won't get the best of what I can offer. I'll use the resources saved from the wayward one, to better improve the ones at home. 6 years down the line, I'll want him to look back and regret his decision to go astray! He'll see his siblings going to the best colleges, or even getting awesome paying jobs.

He just gave me another reason to ensure the ones at home are properly trained. So, even if social workers, police, etc are at my home... They'll even help the wayward one to feel bad. Better food, clothing, accommodation, resources, trips, etc.

He should just pray his foster parents treat him half as good as I treated him before he grew wings!

RandomFellow:
Lol... Let them knock na. I didn't say the others won't get the best of what I can offer. I'll use the resources saved from the wayward one, to better improve the ones at home. 6 years down the line, I'll want him to look back and regret his decision to go astray! He'll see his siblings going to the best colleges, or even getting awesome paying jobs.

He just gave me another reason to ensure the ones at home are properly trained. So, even if social workers, police, etc are at my home... They'll even help the wayward one to feel bad. Better food, clothing, accommodation, resources, trips, etc.

He should just pray his foster parents treat him half as good as I treated him before he grew wings!

The most important thong is raising your children in ways that are wholesome, so they would have better outcomes in life.

If you have a child in foster care, there is provision for family contact time as mandated by the court, where the child and birth family get to meet in a neutral location for 2 to 3hrs under the observation of a contact supervisor (my side hustle on some Saturdays), where the contact supervisor observes in details the engagement of the family and submit the report, that goes into the files of the child and that of the parents for legal purposes.

By the way, a child living in care (foster care and children residential homes) is entitled to get free education up to the age 25 (Bsc, Msc PhD) if he/she is serious with their life.

Mindlog:
By the way, a child living in care (foster care and children residential homes) is entitled to get free education up to the age 25 (Bsc, Msc PhD) if he/she is serious with their life.

Good point but by the time they get to the foster care stage, they are almost toast education wise and even if not, with some foster homes, the BS happening there (as some evil foster parents only want the council money), they have more important self preservation issues than education.

You are best spending quality time with your children in their formative years in lieu of chasing money anyhow which you can do at any time.

aswani:
Good point but by the time they get to the foster care stage, they are almost toast education wise and even if not, with some foster homes, the BS happening there (as some evil foster parents only want the council money), they have more important self preservation issues than education.

You are best spending quality time with your children in their formative years in lieu of chasing money anyhow which you can do at any time.

Some foster carers are just in for the council money and not providing the care and support for the child as expected. Though councils are still desperate for more foster carers for the children taken away from their birth parents as it is way cheaper than having to place them in children residential homes, which is the last resort after several failed foster placements.

It is not cheap for council to have their kids placed in those privately owned children residential homes as we have one of our kids in a privately owned children residential home outside London we are paying that home £15,000 a week for the child's care.

Mindlog:
When another judge rehear the case and rules the boy be brought back to London, the parents MUST do so and a high chance, the boy will be placed in foster care while there would be work on rebuilding his relationship with his parents.

MUST? Foster care? What nonsense !
Abeg let them relocate to Ghana and give raise a more disciplined child

being:
MUST? Foster care? What nonsense !
Abeg let them relocate to Ghana and give raise a more disciplined child

Yes, MUST.

The question is, are they willing to relocate to Ghana with their other child/children (assuming the boy is not an only child)?

Even if they relocate, once that boy clocks 18, he will relocate back to London on his own.😂😂😂

Mindlog:
Yes, MUST.

The question is, are they willing to relocate to Ghana with their other child/children (assuming the boy is not an only child)?

Even if they relocate, once that boy clocks 18, he will relocate back to London on his own.😂😂😂

hw will he relocate back at 18 when it's not europe? He is still a child at that age in Africa ! Except he is a British citizen. In any case, hopefully by that time, if he remains in Ghana, he would have gotten some sense instilled.

being:
hw will he relocate back at 18 when it's not europe? He is still a child at that age in Africa ! Except he is a British citizen. In any case, hopefully by that time, if he remains in Ghana, he would have gotten some sense instilled.

He is British and if the next ruling goes his way, his local authority's children services will facilitate his immediate return to London.