British boy Alex Batty found after escaping ‘spiritual’ community after six years

A boy from Greater Manchester who went missing six years ago has been found in France, prosecutors say.

Six years after his kidnapping during a holiday in Spain, Alex Batty, aged 11, was found in Revel on Wednesday.

The public prosecutor of Toulouse confirmed today that Alex, now aged 17, handed himself into French police.

Investigators believe Alex had escaped a rural ‘spiritual’ community in the foothills of the Pyrenees, mainly living in caravans and tents.

Alex was on holiday in Marbella with his mother Melanie, then 37, and grandfather David, who was then 58. Both were prohibited from being with the boy at the time, due to domestic difficulties.

They were due to return from their trip after two weeks but never returned.

Alex’s grandmother and official guardian, Susan Caruana, speculated that they had settled into ‘an alternative lifestyle’ somewhere.

Alex hadn’t been since since 2017 (Picture: PA)

He was on holiday with his grandfather David Batty (Picture: GMP)

His mum Melanie Batty was also on the trip (Picture: GMP)

Prosecutors have confirmed Alex’s identity (Picture: PA)

Now French prosecutors are certain Alex has turned up alone in Revel, near Tolouse.

La Depeche, the newspaper that covers the area, said: ‘The Alex Batty mystery is about to be solved.

‘Although he did not show any official document to the gendarmes who took him in, this young 17-year-old boy provided his identity on his own.

‘His face and his story correspond in every way to that of the Briton kidnapped in 2017.

‘This Thursday the Toulouse public prosecutor confirmed that it is indeed Alex Batty.

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‘His story has been verified and appears to correspond to reality. Following this hearing, the teenager was entrusted to the department’s social services, while waiting for his relatives to come forward.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Greater Manchester Police for more information

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