A 14-year old boy from London, who remains unnamed due to legal reasons, had been sent to Ghana boarding school in Africa after his parents tricked him into going, saying they were going to visit a sick relative. The parents defend their action by saying they were concerned for the boy’s actions, saying that he was skipping school, having a lot of unexplained money, and often carried a knife, yet the boy refused each claim. Afterwards, he found a publicly funded lawyer and sent his parents to court, arguing that he was sick and wanted to go back to London.

The boy claimed that he felt “like an alien” and that he was “abandoned” by his family, claiming to be desperate to return back home. The first time he said this, the court denied his request, saying that he had a higher risk of suffering if he was to return to London, but eventually agreed in the second request. He was told he could return back home after he passed GCSE (General Certifications of Secondary Education) which is a type of school. His parents, though, wanted him to stay at boarding school, his mother claiming she could not care for him if he returned and said, “I feared, and continue to fear, if he were to come back now.” The judge, Mrs. Justice, declared in the court that “the boy should remain living in Ghana with the aim of setting out a roadmap and taking the necessary steps for him to return back home.” The boy’s solicitor, James Netto, of the International Law Group, has described the case as “extremely difficult… on every level” and says, “His position remains unchanged; he wants to return home.”

As of now, the boy and his family proceed with the roadmap, which is a type of family therapy which is locally funded.