Alex Batty: British boy fled his mother because she planned to take him to Finland, French authorities say
Alex Batty, the British boy who went missing six years ago, fled his mother because she was planning to take him to Finland, French authorities have said.
Toulouse assistant public prosecutor, Antoine Leroy, described Alex’s mother as “rather unstable”, according to the boy’s account.
Alex decided his lifestyle with his mother “had to stop” when she proposed taking him to Finland. He walked for four nights in the French Pyrenees mountains – sleeping during the day – to get away from her, Mr Leroy added.
Mr Leroy also confirmed Alex is now 17 and a half years old and that he was born in 2006.
He should be able to return to his family in the UK tomorrow, French officials added.
Alex never returned from a holiday with his mother and grandfather in 2017, but this week was found in southern France.
The man who found him said the teenager told him he’d been walking across the mountains for days.
He said he had been kidnapped by his mother and lived in Spain in a “spiritual community” before moving to France in around 2021.
Alex is originally from Oldham and his grandmother had made multiple appeals to find him.
Greater Manchester Police said she was “content” the teenager who turned up in France is her grandson but that more checks will be carried out when he gets back home.
He’s expected back in the UK in the next few days.
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