Warwick Law School News

Former Warwick LLB student James Netto (2011) and his team have been working since 2024 to identify and locate absent British military fathers in Nanyuki, Kenya as part of a ground-breaking DNA and legal process. Earlier this month, the BBC released a one hour documentary and six part podcast exploring this incredible work, which focuses on the children fathered by British soldiers and their search for identity and truth.

The documentary titled ‘Abandoned: Searching for Soldier Dad’ follows the groundbreaking process helping Kenyans track down their British dads and the fight for justice for dozens of mothers in Kenya.

Families are finally finding answers in this landmark case, which combines DNA technology, English court orders and international collaboration to help families identify fathers, establish legal rights and reconnect with relatives they never knew existed.

In an article released by BBC News, they state: “The process provides answers for children who did not know where, or even in some cases who their fathers were - or who had been led to believe they had died. All have been seeking answers about their heritage, and have faced financial hardship. Most of the 12 confirmed cases are now eligible to register for British citizenship. Those under 18 or in further education will be eligible for child support. UK solicitor James Netto, and Kelvin Kubai, a lawyer finding clients on the ground in Kenya, say there are nearly 100 documented cases of children born near the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) to British soldiers. Netto believes there could be many more.” (Casserly, J. & Davidovic, I. (2026) ‘They told me he was dead’: Children born near army base learn truth about UK soldier dads, BBC News)

In a recent LinkedIn post James shared:

“The cases have been like nothing we have ever seen before. Fathers have met children they never knew existed, and children have discovered that the men they believed long dead are, in fact, alive and well in the UK. We have represented nearly two dozen applicants, each seeking one simple but fundamental answer: who is my father? Through DNA testing and the careful cross-referencing of publicly available genetic databases, long-held questions about identity are finally being answered. It has been the privilege of my career to represent these mothers and children alongside [the rest of the team].”

James is currently a Partner and Solicitor based in the Children’s Department at The International Family Law Group. He specialises in all areas of international children law, and particularly in cases involving international child abduction.

Congratulations to James and the rest of the team on this incredible work.

• Watch the Documentary on BBC iPlayerLink opens in a new window or YouTubeLink opens in a new window.
• Listen to the Podcast on BBC Sounds.Link opens in a new window
• Read James’ Article on the iFLG websiteLink opens in a new window.
• Read the full BBC News articleLink opens in a new window.