Please take the time to read this if you can.

Here’s a little backstory: I’m 18 and live in the UK, went to school with this other boy in my year. He didn’t have any friends and I would occasionally smile and just be friendly to him as we shared some classes together. We’ve just finished our A-levels.

So last week he added me on Snapchat and started making conversation with me. I didn’t want to be rude so I replied every couple of hours till the conversation went dead. He continues to message me anyway.

We got talking about university and he told me he wasn’t allowed to go. I proceeded to ask him why. He told me his mom has power-of-attorneys over him (your legal guardian has the power to make decisions for you if you’re mentally incapable or have a life limiting disease. These are rarely given out and manly go to older people who are on palliative care orders). But I know if he chooses to go to college for an extra year you get extra benefits off the Government as he’s considered to be in full time education still.

He told me has ADHD, which doesn’t seem that way as he would sit in Art for hours painting and was extremely quiet. He on strong medication for it as well. He told me he hasn’t no other mental illness. Sometimes if you’re diagnosed with ADHD you can get extra benefits off the government (maybe his mom has told him to go along with it for extra money? Just a thought). He works in a leisure centre and the money he earns goes straight into his moms bank account and the government money he’s entitled to is spent by his mom on materialistic things for herself. Him and his brother often go without and struggle to pay bills. He’s tells me his not allowed to do anything without his mom permission and because she has power-of-attorney he can’t open he’s own bank account! He’s 18 and tells me he needs he’s parent signature. He proceeded to tell me not to anyone but he’s been to the doctors with multiple broken bones and was even taped to a fence and left there for hours. They’ve broken ribs and tried to kill him

I’m certain his mom is exploiting and abusing him from his told me. I barely know him and can only assume this is a cry for help. I have a friend that went to his primary school and she told me she’d seen him with multiple broken arms and evens a black eye.

What I find hard to believe is how this was over looked by the solicitor who gave power-of/attorney (which might just be a lie to control him as I don’t see how she would have got it. He said his never seen the paper work for it but has spoke about it with someone), doctors and teachers? I can’t have been the person to see this after all this time. I’m just shocked. Especially considering my school is very good.

What should I do? He made me promise not tell anyone but his parents seems extremely abusive. He told me still loves his family and doesn’t see what they’re doing as wrong. Now he’s 18, I can’t go to social services about this (my mom is a foster parent). Who would I tell? And if I did tell someone I’m pretty sure he’d deny it all in fear of his parents reaction afterwards.

Thank you for reading this far.