Who is Alex Batty’s mother Melanie?
ALEX Batty was found in France on December 13, 2023 after he went missing with his mum Melanie in 2017.
Since fleeing from his mother's rented home in the French Pyrenees, Alex has opened up about his relationship with her and how he escaped.
Who is Melanie Batty?
Melanie Batty, 43, is the mum of Alex Batty, who went missing in 2017.
She went on holiday with her dad, David, 64, and son — but they never returned.
They went to Spain on a pre-agreed trip, but his grandmother and legal guardian Susan Caruana stayed in the UK.
The three of them were supposed to leave Spain after a week but were not seen again, until Alex appeared six years later.
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Speaking after fleeing his mother's care, Alex said: “She’s a great person and I love her, but she’s just not a great mum.”
Who is Alex Batty's grandmother?
Alex Batty's grandmother is Susan Caruana, who was also his legal guardian.
At the time of his disappearance, Susan thought Melanie and Alex might have adopted "an alternative lifestyle" in another country.
She revealed that her daughter and ex-husband previously lived on a commune in Morocco with Alex in 2014.
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She said at the time: "They didn't want [Alex] to go to school, they don't believe in mainstream school."
In a 2018 interview, Susan said: "On the Sunday, they were due back in the afternoon and my husband was going to go and pick them up.
"I got this message on Facebook and it was a YouTube video of the three of them.
"They all spoke on it and Melanie said the reasons why they had done what they had done.
"Alex said it was a million times better being with his mum and grandad. Obviously it hurt me a bit but then my other concerns kicked in.
"The reason I believe they have done this is because, basically, my lifestyle, my belief systems, are not what they agree with — just simply living day to day, how normal people do.
"They didn't want him to go to school, they don't believe in mainstream school."
What happened in Spain in 2017?
Melanie, Alex and David were due home on October 8, 2017 after a pre-agreed holiday to Spain.
However, they never returned, and inquiries at the time suggested they may have travelled from Malaga to Mellilla on the Moroccan border.
Police then launched an investigation.
Alex, now 17, was found in Revel near Toulouse, southern France on December 13, 2023 after he fled his mother's rented home in the Pyrenees mountains.
Alex trekked for 22 miles over two days before a delivery driver spotted him carrying a skateboard at 3am and stopped, before getting in touch with the police.
He let the lad use his phone to message nan and legal guardian Susan Caruana, 68: “Hello grandma ils(sic) me alex please pick up”.
The driver then took Alex to a police station.
Alex didn't show any ID to the police who questioned him, but was still able to identify himself.
What has Alex Batty said about his escape?
Alex has explained how he walked out on his mum and grandad after six years of wandering across Europe, saying: “I had an argument with my mum and I just thought I’m gonna leave because I can’t live with her.”
He told The Sun: “We had a stupid argument about nothing.
“My mum can argue about anything so it doesn’t take much. She is very set in her views.
" I just had enough and thought, ‘That’s it, I’m leaving’. I wrote a note and said, ‘Hey, Mom. I want you to know I love you very much. I’m very thankful for the life that you provided for me over the past few years.
“Don’t worry about yourself. I’m sure you won’t get found. Don’t worry about me either. You know I can look after myself. I love you very much. Don’t be angry with me. Love Alex.”
He first had doubts about the nomadic life his mum wanted when he was 14.
His feelings grew stronger towards the end of 2022 as he considered his dreams of becoming a computer software engineer.
Alex said: “I first started thinking about leaving when I was 14 or 15.
“I realised it wasn’t a great way to live for my future. The cloud had lifted because I started weighing everything up again — the pros and cons of England.
“I wouldn’t know what was going to happen in my future if I were to stay with my mum, but from the past few years I could get a picture of what life would have been like.
“Moving around. No friends, no social life. Working, working, work and not studying. That’s the life I imagined I would be leading if I were to stay with my mum.
“It would always be the same whether it was France or Spain.
“In the mountains, in the middle of nowhere. No people my age.
“So when I was about 16 I spoke to grandad about going back to England.
“My mum was against the idea. She was very anti-government, anti-vax.
"She was worried that if I were to go back to a country and get my ID I would be put into care. Her catchphrase was becoming a ‘slave to the system’.
“She wasn’t really open to any other opinions whereas grandad is more of a listener.
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“He was always like, ‘I want you to do what’s best for you’.
“He kept on saying every time, the reason I came with you, is so that I could make sure that you were happy and healthy with a roof over your head.”