[2007] EWHC 2584 (Admin)

Even assuming that the defence of duress of circumstances was available to a parent charged with failing to secure school attendance, which seemed doubtful, in the circumstances of the instant case the findings of fact did not justify the conclusion that a mother's failure to secure her son's regular attendance at school was the result of reasonable fear on her part that if she tried to do so, she or her daughter would be at risk of death or serious injury at his hands.

DC (Richards LJ, Openshaw J)

16/10/2007