13-YEAR-OLD BOY DEPORTED TO AFRICA SUES UK BASED PARENTS. (PHOTO).
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The boyās legal team argued that his parents āphysically and emotionally abandonedā him due to concerns over his potential involvement in gangs in London, an accusation the teenager vehemently denied.
A 13-year-old boy has taken legal action against his parents, accusing them of ābrutallyā taking him overseas and enrolling him in a boarding school before abandoning him there.
The boy, whose identity is protected, contacted the British Consulate and a child welfare organization after his parents registered him at an African school before returning to the United Kingdom.
The boyās legal team argued that his parents āphysically and emotionally abandonedā him due to concerns over his potential involvement in gangs in London, an accusation the teenager vehemently denied.
At a hearing that began on Tuesday, the boyās lawyers requested a judge ordered his return to the UK, where he has lived since birth.
However, the boyās fatherās lawyers argued that the decision to send him abroad was a legitimate exercise of parental responsibility.
Deirdre Fottrell KC, representing the boy, stated that his parentsā actions were driven by the belief that there was no alternative way to address the perceived risks than by removing him from the country.
She added, āThe steps that this boy, not yet 14, has taken to try and remedy the awful situation he finds himself in, are extreme.
āThere is clear evidence that he is being harmed emotionally, psychologically, and possibly physically in the environment in which he has been placed,ā describing the parentsā decision to leave him in such a situation as āextraordinary.ā
She emphasized that the boyās claim of not being involved in any gang was ācategorical,ā and the risks his parents feared, such as being stabbed or shot were not a likely outcome should he return home.
The boy was described in court as āvery polite and articulate,ā with a passion for football and cooking.
According to Fottrell, he was enrolled in a school abroad without warning or consultation with him, under the pretense of caring for an ill relative. Upon arrival, his parents left him there.
Fottrell described the act as āstark and quite brutal,ā citing the boyās reports of āinadequateā food and tuition, as well as mistreatment. She also highlighted that the boy was āpatently extremely unhappyā in Africa, finding the experience āhumiliatingā and stating that his English friends mocked him for being ādeported.ā
In addition, Fottrell mentioned that the boyās mother admitted to physically chastising and abusing him while in the UK. The boy is reportedly āupset, confused, and distressed despite acknowledging his imperfections.ā
The Judge in charge of the case, Mr. Justice Hayden, during the hearing, pointed out that the boy was subjected to āincredibly restrictiveā measures in the UK, such as having his location monitored through his phone, which he suggested would be āpretty unbearable for most 14-year-old boys and girls.ā
Rebecca Foulkes, representing the boyās father, mentioned that social workers had reported issues in managing the boyās behaviour before he left the UK.
They noted instances of physical aggression from the mother when trying to manage his behaviour.
Foulkes also shared that the boy had frequently been late to class, stayed out late, and had been suspected of engaging in criminal activities.
The school had concerns about his social vulnerability and had observed him with expensive clothes and phones, while his phone contained pictures of knives and friends holding knives.
Foulkes stated that from the fatherās perspective, there had been a clear deterioration in the boyās behaviour, leaning toward criminal activities.
She argued that the boyās parents had āreal concerns about where he was and who he was with.ā
Foulkes further stated that, in her view, āhigh-quality care and education in a boundary settingā was available in Africa, where the risks the boy faced in the UK were not present. She believed that the boyās potential would be wasted if he were to return to the UK.
The court also heard that the parentsā decision should be respected, as it was made in their sonās best interest, even if it did not align with his wishes.
The hearing before Mr. Justice Hayden is set to continue at a later date.
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