Upon returning to the UK, 17-year-old Alex Batty has spent his first night back in the country after six years of being missing. He vanished on holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather and did not return from a pre-arranged trip there when he was just 11 years old. He is said to have lived an “alternative” lifestyle abroad before deciding to return home.
After being picked up by chiropody student Fabien Accidini near the French city of Toulouse, Alex made his way back to the UK. He was picked up by the French authorities and met his step-grandfather at Toulouse airport before boarding a flight back to the UK. Police say that Greater Manchester is “where he wants to be.”
Matt Boyle, an Assistant Chief Constable, confirmed that Alex had been found safe and well after six years. Alex has met with a family member and is now back in the UK for the first time in six years. Boyle also mentioned that speaking with Alex at a pace that feels comfortable to him will ultimately determine how the case is progressed.
Although the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are yet to be fully established, French authorities say Alex walked across the Pyrenees for “four days and four nights” and that he seemed “tired” but “in good health.” His mother, who does not have legal parental guardianship, may be in Finland, and his grandfather has died.
Before returning to the UK, Alex was living with his mother and grandfather, both of whom took him on the trip to Spain. French prosecutors revealed that Alex decided to return home after his mother announced her intention to move to Finland. They also mentioned that he has been out of school for six years and that he did not appear to have been subjected to any physical violence while abroad.
Boyle clarified that Greater Manchester Police will not comment on what Alex was doing while abroad until they receive a statement from him. He also expressed a willingness to welcome any new information, including from Alex’s mother, to fully investigate the circumstances of his disappearance.