In 2017, Alex Batty (17) went missing in Spain. On Wednesday, he was found along a country road in France. Now he believes he was abducted by his own mother.
Alex Batty was 12 years old when he disappeared from his mother and grandfather on a holiday in Spain in 2017. Photo: Greater Manchester Police/Reuters/NTB
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Published: 14/12/2023 23:00
The short version
- Alex Batty (17) was found in France after being missing for six years in Spain.
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A British teenager who went missing six years ago on a family holiday in Spain has been found in south-west France.
This is reported by the French media on Thursday, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
The 17-year-old from Oldham in England was found in the French town of Revel, east of Toulouse, writes BBC.
It is six years since Batty, his mother Melanie and his grandfather David did not return home as expected from Spain on 8 October 2017. Then a major police investigation was launched.
The Greater Manchester Police state that the mother and grandfather are wanted in connection with the teenager’s disappearance, according to AP.
– This is a complex and lengthy investigation, and we must carry out further investigations and put in place appropriate protective measures, the British police told AP.
Abducted by his mother
Fabien Accidin, who works driving around and delivering medicines, observed the missing boy walking alone along a country road, according to Manchester Evening News.
Under his arm, Batty had a skateboard and a glowing flashlight.
– It rained heavily. The second time I drove past him, I decided to offer to drive him where he was going, Accidin tells it British newspaper.
During the drive, Batty pretended his name was Zach. But after three hours, the missing boy revealed his true identity and told his story to the driver.
He kidnapped Batty’s mother when he was 12 years old, Accidin tells the newspaper. Since then he has lived in a kind of alternative house in Spain with 10 other people. And in 2021, Batty came to France.
– He lived with his mother in a spiritual community, far away from normal life. Alex told me his mother was a little crazy, but she didn’t keep him captive. He could leave if he wanted to, says Accidin.
Batty decided to go back to England to be with the rest of his family. He walked in the mountains for four days to find a big city with an embassy so he could get help to get back to England.
Returning to England soon
The 17-year-old was allowed to borrow the driver’s mobile phone, which he used to contact his grandmother, before he was taken to the police.
The prosecutor’s office in Toulouse has confirmed that the identity of the 17-year-old is the same as Batty, informs BBC.
British police have been contacted by the embassy in Paris. Batty is cared for by social services in France and soon returns to England.
2023-12-14 22:00:34
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