Briton Alex ‘lied to police’ about escaping from his mother’s hands

Alex Batty was reported missing six years ago, when he was an 11-year-old boy. He was on holiday in Spain and was kidnapped by his mother and grandfather. His grandmother, Alex’s legal guardian, believed he might have been taken to Morocco.

“I knew the way”

Last week, it appeared near the French city of Toulouse. He told French police his special escape route: via the Pyrenees mountain range and is said to have survived for four days on food he found along the way.

There is no truth in this story of the trip, Alex tells the British newspaper The Sun. Yes, he ran away, but he wasn’t on the road for four days. He “just” walked for two days and asked people in the village of Kuilan for directions to mislead the police. He says he already knew he was on his way to Toulouse. He wasn’t lost.

Maybe grandpa is still alive

He made up the story in the hope that the police would not be able to find his mother and grandfather. He feared that the two would be arrested for kidnapping him. “I know now they’ll probably get arrested anyway,” he says.

According to Alex, his grandfather is still alive, although French police previously said they suspected the man died a few months ago. According to the British boy, “his grandfather was open to his stories,” and his mother did not want to listen to them. That’s why he didn’t tell her he wanted to return to England.

Dream of becoming an IT professional

The boy says that a year ago he started thinking of an escape plan. He wanted to be an IT professional and that felt “off.” “I didn’t think my mother’s lifestyle had room for this dream,” he says.

According to French authorities, Alex “led a nomadic life.” The boy said the three live in “spiritual communities” and municipalities in Spain, France and Morocco. They were said to be obsessed with “energy and solar panels.”

“There’s a lot to catch up on.”

Speaking to The Sun, Alex said his reunion with his grandmother in England was “emotional”. He trembled with joy when he saw her. He wants to learn French and go back to school. “I have a lot of work to do,” he says.