Teen Abducted in 2017 Talks Escape From 'Anti-Vax' Mom

Reunited with his grandmother, Alex Batty plans for more normalcy in his future
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 22, 2023 11:06 AM CST

A kidnapped teenager who escaped his mother to be reunited with his grandmother and guardian in the UK, says he lied a little about the journey that brought him to be found wandering through southern France on Wednesday. Alex Batty initially told police he spent four days walking through the Pyrenees mountains. It was actually two days spent traversing 22 miles, the 17-year-old tells the Sun. He says he lied in an effort to protect his mother and grandfather—whom he appears to have falsely claimed was dead—because they could be arrested on suspicion of child abduction. According to Batty, the rest of his story is true. He says he'd grown tired of living a nomadic lifestyle with "no social life" and came to realize his mother was "a great person" but "not a great mum."

"Moving around" from place to place "in the middle of nowhere" with no school and no friends and constantly working in exchange for food and rent "wasn't a great way to live for my future," says Alex, who was taken from the UK as an 11-year-old in 2017 and reportedly also spent time in Spain and Morocco. For years, he thought about returning to the UK, but his desire grew a year ago as he considered a career as a software engineer. He says his grandfather, David Batty, seemed open to the idea, telling him he only wanted what was best for Alex, but his "anti-government, anti-vax" mother, Melanie Batty, was against it, saying her son would become a "slave to the system." Then "I had an argument with my mum and I just thought I'm gonna leave because I can't live with her."

Alex says he left a note for his mother explaining "how much I loved her, how much I appreciated what she had done for me," before departing their rented home in the dead of night, per CNN and the Sun. He says he walked 22 miles before he was picked up by a delivery driver near Toulouse. He "pretended" he'd had a longer journey "to try and protect my mum and grandad but I realize that they're probably gonna get caught anyway," he tells the Sun. "It feels great to be back" with his grandmother in Oldham, he continues, though noting that at six feet tall, he's too big for his old bed. "I have got a lot of help from social services and the police and want to go to college," he says. A judge has ruled Alex will be under his grandmother's care until his 18th birthday in two months. Meanwhile, a police investigation is underway, per the Guardian. (More missing child stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X