Found Alive France - Alex Batty, 11 from Oldham Uk, parental abduction, 2017 *found alive in France after walking in Mountains*

[StillDiggin]

Some amazing news.
A British boy who went missing in 2017 when he was 11 has been found in France and will return home soon, according to French authorities.
Alex is from Oldham and would now be 17.

A student who spotted him walking at night in heavy rain told French media he offered the teenager a lift and after speaking for a while, Alex told him his story.

Alex Batty: British boy missing since 2017 found in France after 'walking in mountain for days'

Alex Batty, from Oldham, never returned from a holiday to Spain with his mother and grandfather.

news.sky.com

 

[StillDiggin]

What a lovely message Alex wrote to his grandmother telling her he wants to come home after escaping a spiritualist community.

Missing Alex Batty was found by student who offered him a lift

Alex Batty, from Oldham, Lancashire, was just 11 when he did not return from a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie, then 37, and grandfather David, then 58, in 2017.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

curious about the commune they lived in and what the "alternative" phrasing might apply to, but wow, also can't believe this is not bigger news.

I'd read his memoir. Just wow, can you imagine what he is feeling these days...

ETA: he contends he could leave anytime, was not being "held" by his mum. But... at 12, 13, 14, 15... what could he have done? Reportedly, mum and granddad don't "believe in mainstream" education and schooling. ugh, he is safe now, his grandma must be over the moon, that is paramount of course.

 

[Cedars]

curious about the commune they lived in and what the "alternative" phrasing might apply to, but wow, also can't believe this is not bigger news.

I'd read his memoir. Just wow, can you imagine what he is feeling these days...

ETA: he contends he could leave anytime, was not being "held" by his mum. But... at 12, 13, 14, 15... what could he have done? Reportedly, mum and granddad don't "believe in mainstream" education and schooling. ugh, he is safe now, his grandma must be over the moon, that is paramount of course.

I'm not clear what you mean by the memoir?

It's sad he had no one to turn to to help him get back to his grandmother by normal means.

JMO

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

I'm not clear what you mean by the memoir?

It's sad he had no one to turn to to help him get back to his grandmother by normal means.

JMO

If he were ever to write a memoir about his time away and how that transpired and what it looked like, I'd read it.

 

[lilacstorm]

ETA: he contends he could leave anytime, was not being "held" by his mum. But... at 12, 13, 14, 15... what could he have done? Reportedly, mum and granddad don't "believe in mainstream" education and schooling. ugh, he is safe now, his grandma must be over the moon, that is paramount of course.

It sounds like maybe he escaped from a cult.

 

[Cedars]

If he were ever to write a memoir about his time away and how that transpired and what it looked like, I'd read it.

Ah, I read 'read' as being past tense!

 

[Mirabel091]

curious about the commune they lived in and what the "alternative" phrasing might apply to, but wow, also can't believe this is not bigger news.

I'd read his memoir. Just wow, can you imagine what he is feeling these days...

ETA: he contends he could leave anytime, was not being "held" by his mum. But... at 12, 13, 14, 15... what could he have done? Reportedly, mum and granddad don't "believe in mainstream" education and schooling. ugh, he is safe now, his grandma must be over the moon, that is paramount of course.

Yes, it's one thing being free to leave, quite another to have the means to do so. Apparently he had been walking for four days, in the rain, trying to get to a city. He may only have had a very rough idea of where he was, which direction to go.

Typing this, I realise he could easily have taken a wrong turn after leaving the commune, or got in the wrong car, and nobody would have been any the wiser.

 

[Cedars]

Yes, it's one thing being free to leave, quite another to have the means to do so. Apparently he had been walking for four days, in the rain, trying to get to a city. He may only have had a very rough idea of where he was, which direction to go.

Typing this, I realise he could easily have taken a wrong turn after leaving the commune, or got in the wrong car, and nobody would have been any the wiser.

Yes, perhaps his mother was unwilling to contact police that he was missing?

People who try to bring their children up in any kind of restricted circumstances - even in mainstream culture - seem to forget that kids grow up quickly and want to make their own choices.

<modsnip>

JMO

 

[halfbrilliant]

BBC News | Alex Batty: Teen from Oldham missing for six years found in France

It took me a while to understand exactly what had happened after reading this article. So he disappeared while with his mother and grandfather but neither of them had parental guardianship over him at the time? So, and I understand the need for certain language but would it be simpler to say that he was kidnapped by his mother and grandfather? Presenting it as a disappearance really was confusing for me and my poor addled brain. I’d like to know why he was on holiday without someone with parental rights, and why his mother didn’t have parental guardianship, doesn’t something serious have to happen for that to be taken away?

<modsnip: referenced post was removed>

Getting back to this case, and now I think I maybe have grokked the details a bit better, this is definitely cause to celebrate in the true crime/misper community, is it not? If someone had told me the details of the ‘disappearance’ a few weeks ago I would have said that more than likely … well. So many things could have gone very wrong here, maybe much more so than Alex even understands at this point. So I am over the moon for his loving family who may have been losing faith as well.

I think it’s really worth highlighting this case because it shows that it never makes sense to give up, until you know for sure that all hope is extinguished. Sometimes miraculous turns of fate can occur and even if they’re one in a hundred, one in a million even, we need to be open to the possibilities and remain positive wherever we can. Let’s hear it for Alex who, yes, I’d love to hear more about his experiences if and when he is inclined to share his story! And for the rest of us, one less missing kid is definitely something to savour and be thankful for. Whoop!

 

[StillDiggin]

David and Melanie Batty remain wanted in connection with Alex’s disappearance. This is an even more detailed account of Alex’s story. I wonder if Alex will help giving information that will help arrest David and Melanie Or if they will take off and live somewhere else.

Missing Oldham teen Alex Batty told driver who found him ‘my mother kidnapped me’

Lorry driver discovered missing British boy Alex Batty walking in the mountains in France and offered to give him a lift

www.independent.co.uk

A

 

[Normal Norm]

I had not heard of Alex's disappearance until just a few minutes ago, via an article in the Manchester Evening News. What an incredible ending! I guess I now need to go back to the start and follow the whole thing through from beginning to end.

 

[Officer Dibble]

curious about the commune they lived in and what the "alternative" phrasing might apply to, but wow, also can't believe this is not bigger news.

I'd read his memoir. Just wow, can you imagine what he is feeling these days...

ETA: he contends he could leave anytime, was not being "held" by his mum. But... at 12, 13, 14, 15... what could he have done? Reportedly, mum and granddad don't "believe in mainstream" education and schooling. ugh, he is safe now, his grandma must be over the moon, that is paramount of course.

I'm trying to work out the difference between a Spiritual Community that you live in and a Cult. JMO

 

[Officer Dibble]

David and Melanie Batty remain wanted in connection with Alex’s disappearance. This is an even more detailed account of Alex’s story. I wonder if Alex will help giving information that will help arrest David and Melanie Or if they will take off and live somewhere else.

Missing Oldham teen Alex Batty told driver who found him ‘my mother kidnapped me’

Lorry driver discovered missing British boy Alex Batty walking in the mountains in France and offered to give him a lift

www.independent.co.uk

A

Considering they have moved the boy around various countries over the years I would imagine the latter would happen. JMO MOO

 

[Honey_West]

This is incredible! Alex, you are free! I hope you live the best life from here on out!

 

[seasideForest]

I'm trying to work out the difference between a Spiritual Community that you live in and a Cult. JMO

Monks live in a religious community, although imo you could also call that a spiritual community but I doubt anybody who is religious in a mainstream Christian kind of way would refer to that as living in a cult.
JMO

 

[Officer Dibble]

There is a 'live' news conference from France right now on Sky news channel and I believe you can rewind to the beginning. There are some interesting facts coming out. Here is the link. No idea if it will be the same link after it has finished being Live.

Apparently the Grandfather died 6 months ago. The mother wanted to go to live in Finland and this prompted AB to leave.

edited to ask, is there anyone from France here? They mentioned a town I'm trying to find on maps but it sounded phonetically like Gooj. I can't find it and wondered if anyone know how to spell that? Would that be Gudas? MOO AB said he didn't know where he had been living for the past 2-3 years but he was familiar with Gooj (no idea how to spell this) and the people there were friendly apparently.

 

[Skigh]

Inside Alex Batty's six-year life in 'reincarnation' commune

Alex Batty, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was just 11 when he did not return from a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie, then 37, and grandfather David, then 58, in 2017.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Skigh]

There is a 'live' news conference from France right now on Sky news channel and I believe you can rewind to the beginning. There are some interesting facts coming out. Here is the link. No idea if it will be the same link after it has finished being Live.

Apparently the Grandfather died 6 months ago. The mother wanted to go to live in Finland and this prompted AB to leave.

edited to ask, is there anyone from France here? They mentioned a town I'm trying to find on maps but it sounded phonetically like Gooj. I can't find it and wondered if anyone know how to spell that? Would that be Gudas? MOO AB said he didn't know where he had been living for the past 2-3 years but he was familiar with Gooj (no idea how to spell this) and the people there were friendly apparently.

Two towns that have been mentioned are Aude and Ariege departments in Occitanie.

 

[Cedars]

I'm trying to work out the difference between a Spiritual Community that you live in and a Cult. JMO

The American expert is considered to be Rick Alan Ross, he points to cults as being lead by a charismatic and authoritarian leader who abuses their followers, exploiting them, and not allowing them to leave.

In this case, I'm not getting the sense there was a leader beyond, perhaps, the grandfather.

What makes a cult? | Rick Ross

Rick Ross: A typical cult has a charismatic, unaccountable leader, persuades by coercion and exploits its members, economically, sexually or in some other way

www.theguardian.com