Breaking News: British Teen Found After 6 Years Missing
After six years of being missing, Alex Batty, a British teenager, has been found in France. The 17-year-old reportedly messaged his grandmother, expressing his desire to come home. The details of his discovery were revealed by a concerned motorist who found him in the town of Revel, near Toulouse.
Batty's identity has been confirmed by his family members, and Greater Manchester Police have formally identified him. The main priority now is to safely return him to his family in the U.K. The investigation team, along with partner agencies, has been working tirelessly to provide full support in this matter.
"Our main priority now is to see Alex returned home to his family in the U.K. and our investigation team has been working around the clock with partner agencies to ensure they are fully supported," said Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes on Friday.
The ongoing criminal investigation into Batty's disappearance is being led by British officials.
Batty's mother and grandfather lived a nomadic lifestyle
Batty was 11 years old when he went on vacation with his mother and grandfather in Spain. Neither had parental guardianship of the teen, and they remain wanted in his disappearance.
French prosecutor Antoine Leroy said in a news conference in Toulouse on Friday that his mother, Melanie Batty, is believed to have left the country for Finland.
Leroy said that Batty's grandfather, David Batty, is believed to have died about six months ago.
Leroy said that the Batty trio seemed to live a nomadic life, moving frequently from place to place and traveling with solar panels. Leroy said that the family lived in Morocco before moving to France.
This lifestyle appears to have led to Batty's decision to leave. Leroy said that the teenager did not want to follow his mother to Finland, instead walking for four days in southwest France before being picked up by the motorist.
The prosecutor's office told the BBC that Batty has not said where his mother went or where he had been living before he was found.
The motorist who picked up Batty didn't know who he was
The man who picked up Batty was identified as delivery driver Fabian Accidini. Accidini told the Associated Press that he saw Batty in the early hours of the morning.
Batty embarked on a four-day journey on foot, as he confided to Accidini.
"I decided to look up his name on the internet and discovered that he was being sought after," he revealed to the BBC.
Accidini disclosed that Batty had intended to make his way to a bustling city and seek assistance from an embassy.
Batty Reaches Out to His Grandmother
His message to his grandmother, as reported by the BBC, read: "Hello Grandma, it's me Alex. I'm currently in Toulouse, France. I truly hope that you receive this message. I miss you and I long to return home."
Caruana had previously expressed her belief that Batty's mother and grandfather had taken him on a nomadic lifestyle. In a 2018 interview with the BBC, she mentioned her suspicion that the two had brought him to reside in a spiritual community in Morocco.
Batty's Return to England
According to a spokesperson from the Toulouse public prosecution office, the teenager known as Batty will soon be returning to England. The Greater Manchester Police has stated that there are further checks to be done upon Batty's arrival in the U.K.
Assistant Chief Constable Sykes expressed that Alex and his family remain the focus of the investigation, and that there is still work to be done in understanding the full circumstances of his disappearance and where he has been. Sykes also emphasized the importance of granting the family privacy as they come to terms with the ordeal and try to move forward with their lives together.
