A BRITISH teenager who went missing six years ago escaped from a commune in the mountains and told his rescuer “my mother kidnapped me”.
Alex Batty, then 11, was traveling to Spain with his mum and grandad in 2017 when he disappeared without a trace.
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British man Alex Batty was found alive in France after hiking through the Pyrenees MountainsCredit: Greater Manchester Police
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He was on holiday with his mum Melanie (pictured) in 2017 but never returned to the UKCredit: PA: Press Association
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Alex’s grandfather David Batty, 58, was also on the trip in Benehavis, near MarbellaCredit: PA: Press Association
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He was found alive and well in France on Thursday after hiking for days through the Pyrenees mountains to escape the “spiritual” commune where he lived.
The first words Alex, now 17, said to the truck driver who picked him up on the side of the road were: “My mother kidnapped me when I was 12.”
Fabien Accidini, a student from Toulouse who works part-time delivering medicine by truck, said he saw the English teenager on Wednesday.
Mr Accidini told La Depeche: “He was walking while the rain was falling in heavy drops. The second time I passed him I decided to offer to leave him somewhere.
“He was quite tall and blond, wearing black jeans, a white sweater and a backpack.
– He also carried a skateboard under his arm and a flashlight for lighting.
The young man, who disappeared in 2017, was only supposed to be in Marbella for a week on a prearranged trip with his mother Melanie (37) and grandfather David (58).
However, the family never returned home to Oldham, Greater Manchester, leaving his grandmother and legal guardian Susan Caruana devastated.
Alex reportedly lived in a rural “spiritual community” in the Pyrenees mountains in caravans and tents with Melanie and David.
After his escape, it was claimed that he had had enough of the “alternative lifestyle” and decided to leave.
Alex reportedly said he didn’t know exactly where he lived in France, except that it was “in the mountains between Ariège and Aude”.
Concerned driver Accidini contacted the police and on the way to the station, Alex borrowed his phone to text his grandmother to tell her he was alive.
He said: “For the first few minutes he seemed a bit shy. We tried to speak in French but I noticed he hadn’t mastered the language.
“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 is not clear exactly how old Alex was when he realized he had been kidnapped.
His worried grandmother Susan, then 62, thought her daughter and ex-husband may have adopted an “alternative lifestyle” with the 11-year-old somewhere overseas.
She spoke to The Sun from her home today and said she was “delighted” that her grandson had finally been found.
She said: “I’m so happy. I talked to him and he is fine.
“It is currently with the authorities in France. It’s such a shock.
“I don’t know where his mom is. That’s great news. I’m just waiting for him to come home – I’m thrilled.”
Accidini added: “He said his mother kidnapped him when he was 12. Since then he lived in Spain in a luxury house with about ten people.
“He arrived in France around 2021. In the middle of last weekend, he decided to leave his mother to join his family in England. He hiked the mountain for more than four days!
“He lived with his mother in a spiritual community, far from normal life. Alex told me that his mother was a little crazy, but she never locked him away.
“He could have left if he wanted to. He had no animosity towards her, but he really wanted to find his grandmother. He missed his loved ones.”
Devastated Susan said at the time of his disappearance: “They didn’t want to [Alex] to go to school, they don’t believe in regular school.”
And she revealed that her daughter and ex-husband had previously lived in a commune in Morocco with Alex in 2014.
Alex managed to identify himself in the conversation with the police officers, without an official ID.
The teenager reportedly told the story of what happened to him “calmly and calmly”.
“His face and his story match in every way that of the British man kidnapped in 2017,” said local reports.
Accidini said that when they arrived at the police station, Alex was so tired that he had to lie down.
“When he arrived, Alex seemed very tired… He laid down on the ground.
“After that, the gendarmes questioned us. They were trying to determine if it was really him. When they received the confirmation, he was taken care of to spend the night in a home.
“It’s Alex Batty, 100%. When I saw the photos published by the English media, I had absolutely no doubts about his words.”
He is now apparently in social services as Greater Manchester Police work with the French authorities.
Manchester Police said: “This is a complex and lengthy investigation and we need to carry out further inquiries as well as put appropriate safeguards in place.”
A French police spokesman added: “We can confirm that the young man who was found is Alex Batty. He is doing well and is giving information.”
Susan never stopped hoping that her grandson would one day be found.
Wishing him one last birthday message, she posted on Facebook: “Please, just give me a sign that you’re okay.
“All I want to know is that you’re alive and well. Those were years of torture. My heart is broken.
“I love you so much. I hope to see you again one day. I would give anything just for one hug.”
She said of his disappearance in 2018: “They were supposed to come back on Sunday afternoon and my husband was supposed to go get them.
“I got this message on Facebook and it was a video of the three of them on YouTube.
“Everyone was talking about it and Melanie said the reasons why they did what they did.
“Alex said it was a million times better to be with my mum and grandpa. Obviously it hurt me a bit, but then my other worries came into play.
“The reason I believe they did that is because basically my lifestyle, my belief systems are not what they agree with – I just live day to day, how normal people live.
“They didn’t want him to go to school, they don’t believe in regular school.”
In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are supporting a British national in France and are in contact with local authorities.”
Alex’s mother and grandfather are still wanted in connection with his disappearance.
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Alex’s grandmother and legal guardian said she had spoken to him and was delighted he had been found safe Credit: PA: Press Association
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