Alex Batty is a British boy who went missing at the age of 11 in October 2017 and reappeared on 13 December 2023. Batty disappeared after going on a holiday trip to Spain with his mother and grandfather, who did not have legal custody of him. During the intervening six years, Batty lived “an off-the-grid life” with them in Morocco, Spain, and then in southwest France. He decided to return to the UK for a better future and escaped from his mother when she planned to relocate to Finland. He was found by a delivery driver near Toulouse and contacted his grandmother, who had been searching for him for years. He is now in a young person’s centre in Toulouse and could be back in the UK soon.
The Disappearance of Alex Batty
Background
Batty was born in 2006. His father left when he was two years old and he was raised by his mother, Melanie Batty, and maternal grandmother, Susan Caruana. His grandmother later became his legal guardian. He lived in Oldham, Greater Manchester and attended Hathershaw College. Batty at times travelled abroad with his mother and grandfather. In 2014, the three stayed in a commune in North Africa .
Investigation
After Batty, his mother, and his grandfather failed to return to the UK, police initially suspected they may have travelled to Melila, Spain in hopes of travelling to Morocco. They launched an international appeal and contacted Interpol to find the missing boy. They also issued a European Arrest Warrant for Melanie and David Batty on suspicion of child abduction. However, the investigation faced many challenges, such as the lack of cooperation from the Moroccan authorities, the difficulty of tracking the trio’s movements, and the possibility that they had changed their identities .
Recovery and Return to the UK
On 13 December 2023, Batty used a motorist’s phone to message his grandmother in the UK, saying “I love you, I want to come home”. He had left his mother in a remote village in the Pyrenees mountains and walked for several hours until he reached a road near Toulouse. He was found by a delivery driver, who took him to a police station. He told the police that he had been living in “spiritual communities” with his mother, but not in a sect. He also said that he wanted to return to the UK for a better future. He is now at a young person’s centre in Toulouse and could be back in the UK within hours, the prosecutors’ office in the city told the BBC. The police have confirmed that they have launched a criminal investigation into his alleged abduction at the age of 11.
What Happened to Alex Batty?
How did he disappear?
Batty disappeared after going on a holiday trip to Spain with his mother and grandfather in September 2017. Neither adult had legal custody of the boy . On 30 September, the three flew into Malaga Airport, with plans to stay in Marbella. Caruana had given permission for the two to take her grandson out of the country. The three did not return to the UK on 8 October as planned; Batty was last seen that day at the Port of Malaga. Later that day, Batty’s grandmother received a message on Facebook with a video of her grandson with his mother and grandfather. In the video, Melanie laid out her reasons for leaving, including that she did not want Batty to attend school .
Where did he go?
Batty reported in 2023 that he, Melanie, and David had lived a “nomadic life” since 2017, moving from house to house frequently and often living with other families. He said they joined a “religious community” of roughly ten members and said meditation and discussions on reincarnation were common . They grew their own food and used solar panels, which they carried from one home to the next, and the adults found odd jobs to make money. He did not attend any official schools. The trio spent about two years in Morocco, then travelled through Spain into southwestern France. From 2021 to 2023, they lived in and around the Pyrenees mountains.
Timeline of Events
- September 2017: Batty, his mother, and his grandfather fly to Spain for a holiday.
- October 2017: The three fail to return to the UK as planned and are last seen at the Port of Malaga . Batty’s grandmother receives a video message from them explaining their reasons for leaving .
- October 2017 – December 2019: The trio live in Morocco, joining a “religious community” and living an “off-the-grid life” .
- December 2019 – December 2023: The trio move to Spain and then to France, continuing their nomadic lifestyle in the Pyrenees mountains.
- November 2023: Batty tries to enroll at a school in Quillan, France, but is denied admission because he lacks identity papers. School authorities alert the police, but the report is not followed up.
- December 2023: Batty leaves his mother in a remote village and walks to a road near Toulouse. He is found by a delivery driver and taken to a police station. He contacts his grandmother and expresses his wish to return to the UK . He is placed in a young person’s centre in Toulouse and awaits his return to the UK. The police launch a criminal investigation into his alleged abduction.
Who is Alex Batty?
Details about his family
Batty’s father left when he was two years old and he was raised by his mother, Melanie Batty, and maternal grandmother, Susan Caruana. His grandmother later became his legal guardian. His grandfather, David Batty, was a former teacher who had been convicted of fraud in 2013. His mother and grandfather did not have legal custody of him and were wanted by the police on suspicion of child abduction. His grandmother spent years looking for him and appealing for his return .
His life before and after the disappearance
Before he disappeared, Batty lived in Oldham, Greater Manchester and attended Hathershaw College. He enjoyed reading, drawing, and playing video games. He also travelled abroad with his mother and grandfather at times, staying in a commune in North Africa in 2014 . After he disappeared, he lived a “nomadic life” with his mother and grandfather in Morocco, Spain, and France, joining a “religious community” and living an “off-the-grid life” . He did not attend any official schools and had a limited social life. He decided to return to the UK for a better future and escaped from his mother when she planned to relocate to Finland. He was found by a delivery driver near Toulouse and contacted his grandmother, who had been searching for him for years . He is now in a young person’s centre in Toulouse and could be back in the UK soon.
Conclusion
Alex Batty is a British boy who went missing for six years and was found in France. He disappeared after going on a holiday trip to Spain with his mother and grandfather, who did not have legal custody of him. He lived a “nomadic life” with them in Morocco, Spain, and France, joining a “religious community” and living an “off-the-grid life”. He decided to return to the UK for a better future and escaped from his mother when she planned to relocate to Finland. He was found by a delivery driver near Toulouse and contacted his grandmother, who had been searching for him for years. He is now in a young person’s centre in Toulouse and could be back in the UK soon. The police have launched a criminal investigation into his alleged abduction.
