13-year-old boy sues UK parents for ‘deportation’ to Africa over ‘gang involvement’

A 13-year-old boy has taken legal action against his parents, accusing them of “brutally” taking him to Africa 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.

His legal team argued that his parents “physically and emotionally abandoned” him due to concerns over his potential involvement in gangs in London, an accusation the teenager denies vehemently.

According to his representative, he was enrolled in a school abroad without warning or consultation with him, under the pretence of caring for an ill relative. Upon arrival, his parents left him there.

Fottrell described the act as “stark and quite brutal,” citing the boy’s reports of “inadequate” food and tuition, as well as mistreatment. She also highlighted that the boy was “patently extremely unhappy” in Africa, finding the experience “humiliating” and stating that his English friends mocked him for being “deported.”

In addition, Fottrell mentioned that the boy’s mother admitted to physically chastising and abusing him while in the UK. The boy is reportedly “upset, confused, and distressed despite acknowledging his imperfections.”

Judge Mr. Justice Hayden, during the hearing, pointed out that the boy was subjected to “incredibly restrictive” measures in the UK, such as having his location monitored through his phone, which he suggested would be “pretty unbearable for most 14-year-old boys and girls.”

Rebecca Foulkes, representing the boy’s father, mentioned that social workers had reported issues in managing the boy’s 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 father’s perspective, there had been a clear deterioration in the boy’s behaviour, leaning toward criminal activities.

She argued that the boy’s parents had “real concerns about where he was and who he was with.”

Foulkes further stated that, in her view, “high-quality care and education in a boundary setting” was available in Africa, where the risks the boy faced in the UK were not present. She believed that the boy’s potential would be wasted if he were to return to the UK.

The court also heard that the parents’ decision should be respected, as it was made in their son’s 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.