Alex Batty, a British teenager who went missing six years ago while on holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather, has been found in France. French officials report that Batty has been living a nomadic lifestyle in spiritual communities with his family for the past few years, but he decided to leave when his mother wanted to go to Finland. Batty is believed to have walked through the mountainous terrain of southern France for four days before being found by a delivery driver in the middle of the night. The driver, Fabien Accidini, said he lent the teenager his phone and allowed him to use his Facebook to contact his grandmother, Susan Caruana, who is the boy’s legal guardian based in Oldham.
Batty’s grandfather, who did odd jobs in the area, was reportedly seen alive as recently as last week. However, Batty told authorities that his grandfather died about six months ago. His mother does not have parental guardianship of the 17-year-old, and her current whereabouts are unknown. On Friday, Greater Manchester Police issued a statement on behalf of Susan Caruana expressing her relief and happiness that Batty has been found safe and well. She requested privacy for the family so that they could “make his return as comforting as possible.”
According to Agence France-Presse, British police officers will accompany Batty on a flight from France. BBC has spoken to residents of the small hamlet of La Bastide in the Pyrenees, where Batty was said to have been living on and off for the past two years. Locals reported that he was always polite despite his limited French.
This has been a case of a missing person for six years, and despite the tragic news about the grandfather, Batty’s return has been a true blessing for the family. Susan Caruana’s statement portrays a level of happiness that is hard to articulate in words, and the family’s privacy must be respected so that they may receive support and comfort as they resume their lives with their son
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