Missing Alex Batty Finally Found after 6-Year Search: His First Message to 'Thrilled' Grandma Revealed

It was raining heavily one evening when a man saw a lonely youngster strolling along the roadside. To his surprise, it was Alex Batty, the young boy who had disappeared at the age of 11 in 2017. Soon afterward, Alex made a modest request — he inquired if he could borrow the stranger's phone to send a text to his grandmother.

In 2017, Alex Batty disappeared during a holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather. Presently situated at a youth center in Toulouse, France, Alex may return to the UK later, accompanied by police and consular officials.

According to information from a police source, a concerned motorist who noticed Alex on a roadside in the Pyrenees foothills took him to a police station early on Wednesday morning, December 13.

Detailing his ordeal, Alex mentioned walking for four days from a mountainous location, though he didn't specify where. Fabien Accidini, a student from Toulouse who works part-time delivering machines by lorry, recounted the incident, stating, "I typed his name into the internet and saw that he was being looked for."

He revealed that the teenager's initial plan was to reach a large city with an embassy for assistance. However, Accidini chose to involve French authorities instead. Using Mr. Accidini's Facebook account, Alex contacted his grandma in the UK, writing a touching message: "Hello Grandma, it's me, Alex. I'm in France, Toulouse. I truly hope that you receive this message. I love you, and I want to come home."

Now 17, Alex, who had been in the custody of his mom and granddad, has been located. His grandmother and official guardian, Susan Caruana, who is too frail to travel to Toulouse to fetch her grandson, expressed her joy from her residence in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

She shared, "I am so happy. I have spoken to [Alex], and he is well. He is currently with the authorities in France. It is such a shock. I don't know where his mum is. It is great news. I am just waiting for him to come home - I am thrilled."

Sharing his story with Accidini, who picked him up on the side of the road, Alex's first words were, "My mother kidnapped me when I was 12 years old." The French native said he first spotted Alex on Wednesday. He recounted, "[Alex] was walking while the rain fell in heavy drops. The second time I passed him, I decided to offer to drop him off somewhere."

Describing the English teenager, Accidini mentioned, "He was quite tall and blond, dressed in black jeans, a white sweater, and had a backpack. He also carried a skateboard under his arm and a flashlight for lighting."

While en route to the police station, Alex reportedly requested the use of Accidini's phone. Through Facebook Messenger, he sent a message to his grandma, informing her of his well-being. The precise age at which Alex realized he had been kidnapped remains unclear.

"During the first few minutes, [Alex] seemed a little shy. We tried to speak in French, but I noticed that he had not mastered the language. I decided to communicate in English," recalled Accidini. "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."

Accidini mentioned that upon reaching the police station, Alex appeared extremely fatigued: "When he arrived, Alex seemed very tired... He lay down on the ground." After that, the gendarmes questioned them, aiming to confirm the boy's identity. Once they had confirmation, Alex was taken into care to spend the night in a home.

According to Accidini, Alex resided in Spain in a luxurious house with approximately ten people after being reportedly kidnapped by his mom and grandpa. Around 2021, he arrived in France, and over December's second weekend, he decided to leave his mother and join his family in England.

Despite being somewhat eccentric, Alex's mother reportedly never confined her son, and he could leave if he wished. "[Alex] had no animosity towards [his mom] but really wanted to find his grandmother. He missed his loved ones," noted Accidini.

The young boy, who went missing in 2017, was initially slated for a one-week stay in Marbella on a pre-agreed trip with his mother, Melanie, 37, and grandfather David, 58. However, the family never returned to their home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, leaving Grandma Sue devastated.

Susan had previously received a video through Facebook on the day they were supposed to return in 2017. The video, released without audio by Greater Manchester Police, showed Alex, Melanie, and David reading from some sort of script.

Reports indicate that Alex had been residing in a rural "spiritual community" in the Pyrenees mountains, living in caravans and tents with Melanie and David. Following his escape, it is suggested that he had grown weary of this "alternative lifestyle" and decided to leave. According to Alex, he wasn't certain of his exact whereabouts in France but mentioned it was somewhere "in the mountains between Ariège and Aude."

At the time of Alex's disappearance, his grandmother Susan, who was then 62, disclosed that Melanie and David had previously resided in a commune in Morocco with the boy in 2014. She explained that they didn't want Alex to go to school as they didn't believe in mainstream education.

Both Melanie and David were reportedly not supposed to be with Alex during that period due to domestic difficulties. The duo lacks legal guardianship of the 17-year-old and is currently sought in connection with his disappearance.

The French prosecutor's office in Toulouse is said to have transferred jurisdiction of the case to British authorities. Consequently, the matter is no longer under French jurisdiction. A contingent comprising British police officers and consular staff is anticipated to pick Alex up and facilitate his return to the UK, with arrangements aiming for as early as Friday, December 15.