Boy of eight held at Paris airport for more than a week

http://gu.com/p/4txbj/sbl

I admit I am shocked and horrified that a child could be treated this way~ by his mother and by the French government .  . .
And yet, as I contemplate the world as it is, I have to ask:
If any of us were in a living situation undesirable or unsafe for our child, would we do the same thing? Would the many risks of putting an eight-year-old child on a plane alone to fly to another country (and possibly fend for himself once there) outweigh the risks of not making this attempt at a better life for him??!
And, as far as the handling by the French government? The way the boy was dealt with was way too harsh and surely caused trauma. There needs to be a softer way to house the children until they can be sent home.
What do you think?