Missing UK Teen Found in France after 6 Years
A missing British teenager who disappeared at the age of 11 has been found in France after six years. The story took a strange turn when the teenager was discovered walking alone in the rain by a delivery driver. He revealed that he had been living off the grid, moving from place to place with his mother and grandfather, growing their own food and practicing meditation. The teenager decided to end his nomadic lifestyle and return to the United Kingdom to be reunited with his grandmother.
A Strange Discovery
The exhausted teenager was spotted walking alone in the rain by a delivery driver in rural France. The driver found it odd to see someone out in the early hours of the morning in such weather conditions. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that the teenager was British and had been missing for six years.
The delivery driver, Fabien Accidini, described the encounter as strange. The teenager, Alex Batty, had a skateboard with him and was walking between two villages. Accidini decided to approach him and offer help.
"Once he felt reassured, he gave me his real name and told me that he had been kidnapped by his mother five years ago," Accidini said. Batty revealed that he had been living in a "spiritual community" with his mother and grandfather, carrying solar panels and growing their own food.
Life Off the Grid
Alex Batty had been missing since 2017, when he went on a two-week family holiday to Spain with his mother and grandfather. Instead of returning to the United Kingdom, they embarked on a six-year odyssey through Morocco, Spain, and southwest France.
During their journey, they lived a nomadic life, moving from house to house and practicing alternative lifestyles. Batty told French investigators that they carried solar panels and grew their own food. They lived with other families and explored various spiritual and esoteric subjects.
However, when Batty's mother suggested moving to Finland, he decided it was time to put an end to their roaming lifestyle. He walked for four nights before being found by the delivery driver in France.
Reuniting with Family
After being found by the delivery driver, Alex Batty contacted his grandmother using the driver's phone. He expressed his desire to return home to the United Kingdom and be reunited with his family.
The French and British authorities confirmed that the teenager found in France was indeed Alex Batty. Plans are now being made to reunite him with his grandmother, who had custody of him before he went missing. Batty's mother is believed to have left for Finland, while his grandfather passed away six months ago. Both are wanted by British police in connection with his disappearance.
Batty's grandmother expressed her relief and happiness upon hearing that her grandson had been found safe and well. She cannot wait to be reunited with him and looks forward to his return.
