Alex Batty latest updates Teen spent years 'constantly on the move' with mum and fled over fears
Who is Melanie Batty?
Melanie Batty is the mum of Alex Batty who went missing in 2017.
She went on holiday with her dad, David, and son but they never returned.
They went to Spain on a pre-agreed trip, but his grandmother and legal guardian Susan Caruana stayed in the UK.
The three of them were supposed to leave Spain after a week but were not seen again, until Alex appeared six years later.
Alex had been walking for 'four days' before driver found him
The driver who found Alex Batty has revealed the astonishing moment he picked up the missing 17-year-old.
Driver Fabien Accidini said Alex “explained that he had been walking for four days, that he set off from a place in the mountains, though he didn’t say where.”
He added: “I typed his name into the internet and saw that he was being looked for.”
Alex then used the driver's phone to text his grandmother.
He wrote: "Hello Grandma, it's me Alex. I'm in France Toulouse. I really hope that you receive this message. I love you, I want to come home."
Who is Melanie Batty?
Melanie Batty is the mum of Alex Batty who went missing in 2017.
She went on holiday with her dad, David, and son but they never returned.
They went to Spain on a pre-agreed trip, but his grandmother and legal guardian Susan Caruana stayed in the UK.
The three of them were supposed to leave Spain after a week but were not seen again, until Alex appeared six years later.
Off-grid nomadic commune where Alex Batty was kept ‘is cut off & has no schools’
The nomadic commune where Alex Batty was kept since 2017 is reportedly cut off from society and has no schools.
While Batty seemingly made no reference to cult-like behaviour in his reports, one expert said this could indicate a lean towards sectarianism.
Simone Risch, president of Infos Sectes, is used to collecting testimonies from those who escape cult-like societies.
Speaking to the French outlet, he said “the break with society, children out of school, social isolation and life in self-sufficiency are often the beginnings of a shift towards a sectarian movement”.
Alex’s grandmother never gave up hope
Susan never gave up hope that her grandson would one day be found.
Wishing him his last happy birthday message, she posted on Facebook: “Please just give me a sign that you are okay.
“All I want to know is that you’re alive and well. It’s been years of torture. My heart is broken.
“I love you so much. I hope that I will see you again some day. I would give anything just for one hug.”
Alex's grandfather ‘may have DIED six months ago’
Alex's grandfather may have died six months ago it was confirmed by Antoine Leroy.
It is understood that Alex did not attend the funeral, but that there had been a ceremony in the community around that time.
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