What followed was a devastating few years for Susan, who missed her grandson dearly. She did, however, suspect her daughter, Melanie Batty, and ex-husband, David Batty, might be living some kind of ‘alternative lifestyle‘ with Alex overseas, having previously taken the boy to a commune in Morocco years prior.
Alex found walking through remote French mountains
In December 2023, Alex, who was now 17, was found hiking through the Pyreneese mountains by a French student, who worked part time delivering medicines by lorry.
The teen had been walking for four days, desperately trying to escape the spiritual commune where he had been living with his mom and grandfather.
Fabien Accidini told local French media he spotted the boy walking in the pouring rain, and after passing him for a second time, decided to stop and ask him if he needed a ride.
“He was quite tall and blond, and dressed in black jeans, a white sweater and a backpack,” he told La Depeche. “He also carried a skateboard under his arm and a flashlight for lighting.”
Alex quickly used the good samaritan’s phone to contact his grandmother and then Fabien chose to contact local police on the way to the station, due to concerns about the teen’s welfare.
“During the first few minutes, he seemed a little shy. We tried to speak in French but I noticed that he had not mastered the language,” he said.
“I decided to communicate in English. When I asked him his name, he pretended his name was Zach, and then we continued chatting. We talked for over three hours. Very quickly, he gave me his real identity – Alex Batty – before telling me his story.”
It later transpired that following their trip to Marbella, Alex had been taken to live in a luxury house somewhere in Spain with around 10 other people, before moving to France in 2021.
Now 20, Alex has opened up about his experience in a new BBC documentary called Kidnapped by My Mum, in which he revealed he has only just reached out to his mom for the first time since escaping the commune three years ago.
“My relationship with my mum, it’s such a complicated thing,” he explained. “I’m annoyed at what she did… the experiences I missed out on and my lack of education.”
After retracting his childhood through the documentary, he made the decision to send Melanie a text, which read: “I know how much you care about me and how all you wanted to do was protect me. I love both of you.”
Alex found walking through remote French mountains
Why Alex Batty’s mom and grandfather weren’t arrested
After returning to the UK, police interviewed Alex and made the decision to launch an investigation in Melanie and David, over a suspected kidnapping, however the case was later closed in January 2025.
Greater Manchester Police, who were handling the investigation, confirmed no arrests had been made. This was in part due to a reluctance from the family, with Alex repeatedly telling authorities he did not want his mother or grandfather to be jailed, and the rest of the family are believed to have felt the same.
In a bid to prevent his mom and grandad from being arrested, Alex initially lied to British police about their whereabouts, telling them his mother had moved to Finland and his grandfather had died.
“I was scared they were going to find my mum and my grandad,” he said in the documentary. “I lied through my teeth. I don’t like lying, but back then, I did whatever I needed to, to protect my mom and grandad.”
He added: “As the victim, I feel like I should have a say in what happens.”
Police also stated there was ‘no realistic chance of criminal prosecution,’ which is usually the case when prosecutors believe the evidence and witness co-operation is unlikely to meet the legal threshold needed for a court case.
Harrowing statement Alex made when he was rescued
Recalling the moment he first met Alex, the lorry driver who picked him up recounted the harrowing first words he said to him.
Alex told the French native: “My mother kidnapped me.”
It’s unclear how old Alex was when he realised the severity of what happened to him, however his grandmother revealed how her daughter sent her a video of herself, Alex and David, where they explained their reasons for leaving.
“On the Sunday, they were due back in the afternoon and my husband was going to go and pick them up. I got this message on Facebook and it was a YouTube video of the three of them,” she told The Sun in 2018.
“They all spoke on it and Melanie said the reasons why they had done what they had done. Alex said it was a million times better being with his mum and grandad. Obviously it hurt me a bit but then my other concerns kicked in.
“The reason I believe they have done this is because basically my lifestyle, my belief systems, are not what they agree with – just simply living day to day, how normal people do. They didn’t want him to go to school, they don’t believe in mainstream school.”