Brain cancer patient Ashya King’s parents feel it’s ‘unsafe’ to return to UK

The parents of brain cancer patient Ashya King have said they do not feel “safe” enough to return to the UK. Brett and Naghmeh King are planning to travel to and live in their property in Spain once the five-year-old’s proton therapy in the Czech Republic comes to an end. Earlier, it was revealed Ashya is set to undergo his last dose of the specialist treatment in Prague today. Asked why they were reluctant to return to Britain, Mr King said: “Because there is so much still at stake.” The Kings sparked an international manhunt when they removed Ashya from Southampton General Hospital on August 28 without medical consent.

We wouldn’t want to lose Ashya. It would probably never happen but just having that small risk that you don’t have to do anything wrong to have your children taken away and (be) thrown in prison.

Naghmeh King

They faced a protracted legal battle to get him to the Proton Therapy Centre (PTC) in Prague, with a High Court judge only approving the move after they had been released from police custody in Spain. Iva Tatounova, director of the PTC, said earlier: “He has been very well and we are expecting him today for his last day of proton therapy. I don’t know if you remember the pictures when he was transported here - just lying on his bed in the ambulance. Now he can sit on his own, he can play with the toys and his motorics improved dramatically. He can also react to his surroundings.”

At the moment we don’t feel 100% safe, I suppose you would call it, contemplating being in England until perhaps they do this investigation into how everything was conducted for us.

Naghmeh King

Health Ashya King