A 13-year-old boy has initiated legal proceedings against his parents in the UK, accusing them of forcibly sending him to Africa and enrolling him in a boarding school without his consent.

The boy, whose identity remains confidential, reached out to the British Consulate and a child welfare organization after his parents took him from the UK to Africa under the guise of visiting an ill relative. They subsequently left him there and returned to the UK.

The boy's legal team contends that his parents "physically and emotionally abandoned" him due to unfounded concerns about his potential involvement in gangs in London, a claim he strongly denies. During a hearing that commenced on Tuesday, November 26, his lawyers requested a judge to mandate his return to the UK, where he has resided since birth.

Deirdre Fottrell KC, representing the boy, argued that the parents' actions were driven by a belief that removing him from the country was the only way to mitigate perceived risks.

She described the situation as "extraordinary," highlighting the emotional, psychological, and possible physical harm the boy is experiencing in Africa. Fottrell emphasized that the boy, who is passionate about football and cooking, was enrolled in the African school without any prior discussion or agreement.

In court, the boy was portrayed as "very polite and articulate," with Fottrell noting reports of inadequate food and tuition, as well as mistreatment at the school. The boy expressed feeling "humiliated" and "extremely unhappy," with his English friends mocking him for being "deported."

The boy's mother admitted to physically chastising him while in the UK, and social workers had previously reported challenges in managing his behavior. Rebecca Foulkes, representing the boy's father, mentioned concerns about his social vulnerability and alleged involvement in criminal activities, citing instances of him possessing expensive items and images of knives on his phone.

Foulkes argued that the decision to send the boy to Africa was made in his best interest, providing "high-quality care and education in a boundary setting" absent in the UK. Despite the boy's wishes, she maintained that the parents' decision should be respected. The hearing before Mr. Justice Hayden is set to continue at a later date.