Boy who sued parents ordered to stay in Ghana

A 14-year-old British boy who took his parents to court after they sent him to boarding school in Africa must remain there until at least the end of his school leaving exams, reports BBC News. The boy was taken to Ghana in March 2024 after being told he was visiting a sick relative. In fact, his parents wanted him to move there after concerns about his behaviour in London, including absences from school, having unexplained money and carrying a knife, court papers said. The boy denies being part of a gang or carrying a weapon. In the latest judgment, the judge ruled the boy should remain in Ghana and prepare to return after completing the equivalent of GCSEs. After saying he was unhappy and homesick in Ghana, the boy found publicly funded lawyers and brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London, in February. He lost his first bid to return. Then, in June he won a Court of Appeal bid to have the case reheard. But on Tuesday, Justice Theis in the High Court handed down judgment, which ruled against the boy's wishes, citing ongoing disruption, including to his schoolwork and to his family life. The boy has British and Ghanaian citizenship. He previously told the court that he felt ‘like an alien’ in Ghana and had been ‘abandoned’ by his family.