A 14-year-old British boy who sued his parents after they sent him to boarding school in Ghana must remain there until completing his General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams, a High Court judge has ruled.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought to Ghana in March 2024 after being told he was visiting a sick relative. His parents actually wanted him to relocate after concerns about his behaviour in London, including school absences, possession of unexplained money, and allegedly carrying a knife, according to court papers. The boy denies gang involvement or carrying a weapon.
Judge Mrs. Justice Theis ruled on Monday that the boy should remain in Ghana and prepare to return after completing the equivalent of GCSEs. She acknowledged that her conclusion does not accord with his wishes and how difficult that will feel for him, but emphasized he has the talent, ability, and intelligence to make this work together with his family.
After expressing unhappiness and homesickness in Ghana, the boy found publicly funded lawyers and brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London in February. He initially lost his bid to return when a High Court judge ruled he was at risk of suffering greater harm by returning to the UK.
In June, he won a Court of Appeal bid to have the case reheard after Sir Andrew McFarlane, the most senior judge in the Family Division, said there had been confusion in the previous decision. The High Court handed down its judgment on Tuesday, ruling against the boy’s wishes while citing ongoing disruption to his schoolwork and family life.
The boy, who is nearly 15 and holds both British and Ghanaian citizenship, remains in school in Ghana studying for his GCSEs. He previously told the court he was living in hell and desperate to return to the UK. He described feeling like an alien in Ghana and abandoned by his family, explaining that he does not speak Twi and has struggled to make friends while experiencing social anxiety.
James Netto, the boy’s solicitor from the International Family Law Group, said his client welcomes the judge’s decision to set out a clear roadmap for his return to the UK. He described the case as extremely difficult on every level, noting the boy never wanted to bring court proceedings against his own parents but their actions left him with no meaningful alternative. His position remains unchanged: he wants to return home.
The boy’s mother said she would not be able to care for him if he returned to the UK before his GCSEs were over. She acknowledged it is really hard to be away from him but said she feared and continues to fear that if he were to come back now, he could end up dead. She added that she knows he does not see it like that.
Justice Theis explained the boy should remain living in Ghana with the aim of setting out a roadmap and taking the necessary steps for him to return after completing his GCSEs. She added that whether that return would actually take place will need to be reviewed nearer the time.
The roadmap includes taking part in family therapy funded by their local authority. The ruling balances parental concerns about safety in London against the boy’s emotional distress and desire to return home, with the court ultimately prioritizing completion of his education before reassessing the situation.
The case highlights complex legal and ethical questions about parental authority, children’s rights, and cross-border family disputes. It also raises questions about how courts weigh safety concerns against a child’s expressed wishes when parents and children fundamentally disagree about what serves the child’s best interests.
