Keypoints:
- High Court rules teen must stay abroad
- Parents acted over safety and behaviour fears
- Family therapy plan to guide return home
A BRITISH teenager who sued his parents after they sent him to Ghana without his consent must stay there until he completes his GCSEs, a High Court judge has ruled.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken to Ghana in March 2024 after being told he was visiting a sick relative. In reality, his parents decided to relocate him due to growing concerns about his behaviour in London, which included truancy, unexplained money and carrying a knife. The boy has denied being part of a gang or possessing a weapon.
Legal fight over forced relocation
Feeling homesick and ‘living in hell’, the teenager secured publicly funded lawyers and filed a case against his parents in the High Court earlier this year.
He initially lost when a judge ruled that returning to the UK could expose him to greater harm. However, in June 2025, the Court of Appeal ordered the case to be reheard after Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, said the earlier decision lacked clarity.
This week, Justice Theis ruled that the boy should remain in Ghana until he completes his GCSEs, noting that another move would only deepen the disruption to his education and family relationships.
Judge acknowledges emotional hardship
‘I am acutely aware that the conclusion I have reached does not accord with his wishes,’ Mrs Justice Theis said. ‘He has the talent, ability and intelligence to make this work together with his family. It will be difficult, but they all share the common aim for him to return to live with his family.’
The boy, who holds both British and Ghanaian citizenship, is currently enrolled in a school in Ghana and studying for his GCSEs. He told the court he feels ‘like an alien’ there and has struggled to make friends because he does not speak Twi.
Plan for eventual return to the UK
Despite the ruling, his solicitor, James Netto of the International Family Law Group, said the teenager ‘welcomes’ the judge’s decision to set out a ‘clear roadmap’ for his eventual return home.
‘This case has been extremely difficult on every level,’ Netto said. ‘He never wanted to be in a position where he had to bring proceedings against his own parents, but he felt he had no meaningful alternative. His position remains unchanged: he wants to return home.’
The boy’s mother told the court she fears for his safety if he returns prematurely. ‘It is really hard to be away from him,’ she said. ‘I feared, and continue to fear, that if he came back now, he could end up dead.’
Under the judgment, the boy will remain in Ghana while undergoing family therapy funded by the local authority. Justice Theis said the arrangement would be reviewed closer to the completion of his GCSEs to determine when he could safely return to the UK.
