Current:Home > InvestAlex Batty Disappearance Case: U.K. Boy Who Went Missing at 11 Years Old Found 6 Years Later-LoTradeCoin
Alex Batty Disappearance Case: U.K. Boy Who Went Missing at 11 Years Old Found 6 Years Later
View Date:2024-12-23 19:25:25
Alex Batty has been reunited with his loved ones.
Six years after the U.K. native—who was 11 years old at the time—vanished while on a trip to Spain, he has been found while hitchhiking in France, police have confirmed.
"It gives me great pleasure to say that Alex has now made his safe return back to the U.K. after six years," Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Matt Boyle, said in a Dec. 17 press conference, explaining officers helped reunite him with a family member. "This moment was undoubtedly huge for him, and his loved ones and we're glad they've been able to see each other again after all this time."
Authorities noted that they're working on establishing the exact circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
"Speaking with him at a pace that feels comfortable to him will ultimately determine how this case is progressed and whether there's a criminal investigation to ensue," Matt explained. "Our continued focus in supporting Alex and his family in partnership with other local agencies to ensure they are safe, their well-being is looked after and his reintegration in society is as easy as possible."
As police noted, "No matter what, understand this may be an overwhelming process."
Alex's mother Melanie Batty, and his grandfather, David Batty, who embarked with him on the trip to Spain in 2017, are wanted in connection with his disappearance, according to NBC News. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.
The now 17-year-old was discovered after a delivery deliver spotted him walking alone in the rain with a flashlight in a mountainous area of southern France.
"I said to myself, ‘That's strange,'" Fabien Accidini told French broadcaster BFMTV, per the Associated Press. "It's 3 am in the morning, it's raining, he's all by himself on the road between two villages."
After picking him up, the driver brought him to the gendarmerie police.
The teenager told French investigators, according to the AP, that he's spent the past few years traveling with his mother and her father as part of a "spiritual community," deciding to part ways after he says his mom told him of plans to move to Finland.
"When his mother indicated that she intended to leave for Finland with him," prosecutor Antoine Leroy said at a news conference, per the outlet, "this young man understood that this journey had to stop."
Alex walked through the rural part of France for four nights, per the AP, surviving off "different things that he found in fields or gardens," according to prosecutors, before he was picked up and led to safety.
Shortly after his return, Alex's grandmother, Susan Caruana, expressed her joy at learning of his fate.
"I cannot begin to express my relief and happiness that Alex has been found safe and well," she said in a statement obtained by AP. "It was so good to hear his voice and see his face again."
E! News has reached out to Greater Manchester Police for additional updates and has not heard back.
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (151)
Related
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- In the Mountains, Climate Change Is Disrupting Everything, from How Water Flows to When Plants Flower
- CBS News poll finds most say Roe's overturn has been bad for country, half say abortion has been more restricted than expected
- The Wood Pellet Business is Booming. Scientists Say That’s Not Good for the Climate.
- Does the NFL have a special teams bias when hiring head coaches? History indicates it does
- Back pain shouldn't stop you from cooking at home. Here's how to adapt
- Trump wants the death penalty for drug dealers. Here's why that probably won't happen
- Irina Shayk Proves Lingerie Can Be High-Fashion With Risqué Cannes Film Festival Look
- Today Reveals Hoda Kotb's Replacement
- Crushed by Covid-19, Airlines Lobby for a Break on Emissions Offsets
Ranking
- Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report
- Major psychologists' group warns of social media's potential harm to kids
- Car rams into 4 fans outside White Sox ballpark in Chicago
- CBS News poll finds most say Roe's overturn has been bad for country, half say abortion has been more restricted than expected
- In an AP interview, the next Los Angeles DA says he’ll go after low-level nonviolent crimes
- How Nick Cannon Addressed Jamie Foxx's Absence During Beat Shazam Premiere
- These states are narrowly defining who is 'female' and 'male' in law
- What Dr. Fauci Can Learn from Climate Scientists About Responding to Personal Attacks Over Covid-19
Recommendation
-
Congress heard more testimony about UFOs: Here are the biggest revelations
-
Chilli Teases Her Future Plans With Matthew Lawrence If They Got Married
-
What’s Driving Antarctica’s Meltdown?
-
The Truth About Tom Sandoval and Influencer Karlee Hale's Relationship
-
Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
-
Why Are Some Big Utilities Embracing Small-Scale Solar Power?
-
What is the birthstone for August? These three gems represent the month of August.
-
Car rams into 4 fans outside White Sox ballpark in Chicago