17-year-old Alex Batty, who disappeared six years ago, is set to return home after a chance discovery by a French driver. Found in Haute-Garonne near Toulouse, Batty revealed that he had been living in France for the past two years "in a spiritual community."
According to a police appeal release from 2019, Batty was last seen when he was 11 years old and was taken on a holiday by his grandfather and mother who wasn’t his legal parental guardianship.
The French driver, Fabien Accidini, while sharing his encounter with Batty told CNN affiliate BFMTV, "He told me he was kidnapped by his mother five years ago in Morocco. After that, he was in Spain, and he had been living in France for the past two years in a spiritual community," Accidini said.
Describing his mother as a "bit crazy," Batty expressed relief at leaving the community and returning to England. "He wanted to have a real life with a real future," Accidini added. According to French broadcaster TF Batty was found walking along the roadside, carrying a skateboard, jacket, backpack, and flashlight, after spending four days wandering.
The family has confirmed Batty's identity, and he is expected to return to England shortly. The assistant chief constable for Greater Manchester Police, Chris Sykes, emphasized the priority of bringing Batty back to the UK. “Our priority is to get him back to the UK as soon as possible,” he said. However, the details of Batty's whereabouts for the past six years remain unknown, and police aim to speak to him to "establish the full facts when he's ready."
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{{/usCountry}}The family has confirmed Batty's identity, and he is expected to return to England shortly. The assistant chief constable for Greater Manchester Police, Chris Sykes, emphasized the priority of bringing Batty back to the UK. “Our priority is to get him back to the UK as soon as possible,” he said. However, the details of Batty's whereabouts for the past six years remain unknown, and police aim to speak to him to "establish the full facts when he's ready."
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{{/usCountry}}Batty's grandmother and legal guardian, Susan Caruana, expressed her joy, saying, "I have spoken to him, and he is well." She added, “He is currently with the authorities in France. It is such a shock.”
According to TF1 report, Batty also sent a message to his grandmother from Accidini’s Facebook account which read - “Hello grandma it is me Alex i am in France Toulouse i really hope that you receive this message i love you i want to come home.”
Greater Manchester Police are coordinating with French authorities to validate the authenticity of the report. “This is a complex and long-running investigation, and we need to make further enquiries as well as putting appropriate safeguarding measures in place,” a spokesperson said.