help with secondary school appeal

[Twins3007]

My son has been offered a secondary school place about an 1 hr 10 min walk from our home although there are 3 schools with in 30 minute walk. The school he has been offered I do need to turn down as a close family member went to this school and was involved in a violent attack, mistaken identity and a stabbing although not on school premises it involved pupils, court case and juvenile detention, I can supply proof of this if asked by appeal board. This family member has now had to relocate to another town due to threats.
What I am concerned about is my son is a shy boy although does interact and loves school, he has the same surname as this family member and relatives of involved pupils still attend this school.
I have been reading on here people advising you have to proof why it would be good for your child to attend 1st option for successful appeal where as I have to proof why he cannot attend the school he has been designated
Has anyone ever been in a position where their child can in no way attend a school and the detrimental affect it will have on him being in this environment.
This school was not one of his options

You have to show that the detriment to your child not being offered a place at your choice, is greater than the detriment to the school of taking a child over numbers.

Did you name the three schools that are nearer, on your preference list?

I think you should put his name down on the waiting lists of any schools that are nearer. If you refuse the place you were offered, the LA has no further responsibility to find you a school place.

I think your situation is quite unique though, so it might be worth trying an appeal.

I'm afraid you are unlikely to win an appeal with a case based on a relative being attacked. You would need to convince the panel that your son would be in danger if he goes to this school. The possibility that he might be because a family member was attacked is unlikely to be enough. You can still try and you might strike it lucky, but be realistic about your chances unless you can come up with a positive case as to why he needs the appeal school.

Turning down the offered school won't help your appeal. As the previous poster says, if you do reject the offer the LA is not under any obligation to find another place for him. If you go down this route you need a backup plan - what would you do if your appeal failed?