14-Year-Old Wins Appeal Case After Parents Tricked Him Into Moving to Ghana

• A British teenager wins a legal battle against his parents to stay in the UK after they sent him to Ghana under false pretences
• The 14-year-old boy, unhappy and homesick in Ghana, challenges his parents' decision, claiming he was misled about the trip
• The Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the teenager, sending the case back to the High Court for further examination

A British teenager has won a legal battle against his parents while challenging their motion to send him to a boarding school in Ghana. This legal case addresses the complex relationship between a parent’s responsibility towards their child and the child's rights.

YEN.com.gh gathered that the 14-year-old child was sent from London to Ghana in March 2024. He had agreed to this because his parents lied to him that he had a relative who was ill back in Ghana, unbeknownst to him of their hidden intention.

The parents had wanted to remove him from London due to concerns that he might join bad groups and get involved in criminal activities.

After the young boy arrived in Ghana, he decided to take the legal route against his parents. He had claimed that he was unhappy and homesick in Ghana and needed to return home to London.

He brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London, which ruled against him in February 2025. However, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, he won a Court of Appeal bid. This means the case will be reviewed again by the High Court in London for further examination or judgement.

The most senior judge in the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, said there had been confusion in the previous decision.

"We have become more and more concerned as to the exercise the judge undertook," he added.

"For those reasons - we are agreed remittal should be allowed."

Sir McFarlance also advised the family to find a solution through constructive dialogue with their son.

At the hearing, the boy's representative, Deirdre Fottrell KC, said the boy is "desperate" to return to the UK.

In her words:

"He is culturally displaced and alienated. He considers himself abandoned by his family. He feels he is a British boy, a London boy."

However, Rebecca Foulkes, the parents' lawyer, argued that remaining in Ghana was a good option for the young boy as it is the parents' wish to provide a haven for their child and separate him from those who would expose him to risk.

"The parents found themselves in a wholly invidious decision when they made the decision they made," she said.

"Ghana provided a safe haven, separate from those who exposed him to risk. The least harmful option is for him to remain in Ghana."

14-year-old wins appeal against parents

The High Court had initially decided that the boy could be sent to Ghana. However, the Court of Appeal disagreed, stating that the judge had not adequately considered the boy's best interests and welfare.

According to the appeal court, the boy was mature enough to make certain decisions for himself, and his parents failed to consider his feelings.

The boy had previously told the court that he felt like he was "living in hell" in Ghana, explaining that he was "mocked" at school and struggled to understand what was happening around him.

In the original ruling, High Court judge Mr. Justice Hayden acknowledged that the parents' decision to send their son to Ghana came from a place of deep love and concern for his well-being. He also recognised that the boy, who had lived in the UK since birth, might be at greater risk if he were sent back to London.

The judge believed that the boy might be involved with gang culture and had an unhealthy interest in knives.

Sir Andrew, who is overseeing the case, however, announced that it will now be heard again by a different judge, with the next hearing scheduled for the coming weeks.

A full decision will be provided in writing at a later date.

Kennedy Agyapong mocks Anas over court fine

YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that a US court reduced the $18 million defamation settlement fee for Ghanaian journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. Kennedy Agyapong, found guilty of defaming Anas, filed for remittitur to lower the jury's initial award.

In a video shared by YEN.com.gh, Agyapong, dressed in mourning clothes, was seen celebrating the court's decision while mourning with the people of Asante Mampong.

The NPP politician, smiling with his supporters, joked about raising the reduced amount from $500 to $5,000.

Source: YEN.com.gh