UK School Placement Fraud Case Dropped

By Jessica Shepherd
The Guardian

A London council has dropped a test prosecution against a mother accused of lying about her address to secure a place for her son at a primary school, it emerged today.

Harrow council had taken Mrinal Patel to court for allegedly applying for a place for her five-year-old son, Rhys, at Pinner Park first school using her mother’s address last January.

Patel, who denied the charge, was thought to be the first parent in the country to be taken to court for school application fraud.

Harrow was prosecuting the 41-year-old under the Fraud Act 2006, but has now been told it is no longer clear whether the legislation covers this type of case.

The council has decided to withdraw the action to avoid potentially expensive legal costs.

Patel told the BBC the decision was “a great relief for me and my family”.

“It’s been an extremely difficult ordeal, and I’m happy to put the matter behind me,” she added.

“I have, from the outset, denied the allegations, and the council’s unconditional withdrawal of the proceedings confirms my innocence.”

Patel allegedly claimed she had lived at an address within walking distance of the school for 14 years, but council investigators found tax records placed her at a different address, two miles away from the school.

Patel said she had had no intention of returning to her husband’s home, but then went back after four weeks.

She acknowledged she had wrongly stated her address and said she had been under pressure at the time.

Read the rest at The Guardian »