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A British teenager whose parents left him in Ghana, fearing he was at risk from “gang culture” in the UK, should stay there until at least the end of his GCSE exams, a judge sitting at London’s high court has ruled.
The boy took legal action against his parents, seeking a court order that would force his return, after they enrolled him in a boarding school and arranged for him to live with extended family in Ghana without telling him.
But after the boy’s parents told the court they did not want him to return until after his exams and did not believe they could keep him safe in England, his legal efforts to force an immediate return failed.
His parents were born in Ghana but he was born in England and “regards himself as an outsider” in the West African country, a social worker told the wardship proceedings.
In a judgment published on Tuesday, Mrs Justice Theis ruled that while the boy, who can be identified only as ‘S’ for legal reasons, had been “tricked”, she concluded he “should remain living in Ghana with the aim of setting out a roadmap and taking the necessary steps for ‘S’ to return here after completing his GCSEs.”
He had travelled from his home in England to visit relatives in Ghana in March 2024 with his parents and a sibling, but his family returned in April without him. His mother and father had become “increasingly concerned” for his safety in the year prior, fearing he was “becoming involved in the gang culture which was prevalent in the area”.
Videos, photos and messages, which made them fear he was involved in theft, fraud and possessing knives, had been found on his phone by his parents, while his mother had found a kitchen knife hidden at the home.
The judge said since his parents did not want him to return home soon, the risk of relationship breakdown would be “very high” if he did, with the likelihood he would be exposed to “the very serious risks” they had tried to protect him from.
Before being taken to Ghana, the boy had become “secretive and dishonest about his whereabouts and possessions,” with his parents struggling to manage “deteriorating behaviour” that was “influenced by peer pressure”.
His mother still “considers him at risk of serious physical harm or death” if he returns, her barrister, Michael Gration, KC told a hearing last month.
In her judgment, Mrs Justice Theis said while there was “very real concern” about the effect of him remaining in a country where he felt abandoned, he had “more of an understanding of why his parents took the steps they did”.
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She added that while she was “acutely aware” the conclusion did not accord with his wishes and “how that will feel for him”, he had the “talent, ability and intelligence to make this work” and the family shared the “common aim” for him to return eventually.
In a statement, the boy’s father, who has been visiting him in Ghana, said: ‘I love [S] very much. However, I do not believe I can ensure [his] safety if he remains in England.
“This is not a reflection of a lack of love or care but rather a realistic assessment of the risks involved. Ghana is currently the safest and most suitable place for him.”
