Bullying mother convinced son he was dying

A “BULLYING” mother robbed her teenage son of his childhood by convincing him he was dying, a judge ruled yesterday.

The 15-year-old boy suffers from a variety of medical problems but his parents exaggerated his symptoms, Mr Justice Hayden found.

The judge had been asked to make decisions about the boy’s welfare at the Family Division of the High Court in London. Mr Justice Hayden said that the boy had been placed at a residential unit under the care of Westminster city council some months ago.

Mr Justice Hayden said the mother, “through bullying and bombastic behaviour, had intimidated medical professionals and others to the extent that she confused and undermined their confidence in their own professional judgment”. He also said she had “inculcated in [the boy] himself a view that he was dying” and he had been robbed of much of his childhood through prolonged stays in hospital.

In March, Mr Justice Hayden had criticised Westminster social services.

Mr Justice Hayden said at the latest hearing that he had been asked to make decisions on a number of issues relating to what care and treatment the teenager should next receive. Earlier, social services bosses had asked him to make findings of fact on a number of issues, including the boy’s parents’ behaviour.