Alex Batty’s mum & granddad won't face criminal charges after keeping Brit teen in commune for six years
22 January 2025, 12:52 | Updated: 22 January 2025, 13:03
Alex Batty’s mum and granddad will not face criminal proceedings after taking the British teen from a holiday to an “off-the-grid” commune in 2017.
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Alex, originally from Oldham, was 11 years old when he went missing while travelling with his family in Marbella, Spain, in October 2017.
He was with his mum Melanie Batty at the time, as well as his granddad, David.
They were not allowed to be with Alex due to "domestic difficulties".
His family took him to an “off-the-grid” commune in France, where he spent six years, before fleeing in 2023.
Police say they have “explored all possible lines of enquiry” but “there is insufficient grounds to move forward with any criminal prosecution.”
The decision not to pursue criminal proceedings applies to both Alex’s mum, Melanie, and his grandad David - who took him to the commune aged 11.
In a statement released on Thursday, Detective Superintendent Matt Walker, who led the investigation said; “Alex and his safety has been at the forefront of our minds and actions since he was found in Toulouse, France in 2023.
“In our commitment to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alex’s disappearance be properly and thoroughly investigated. I led a dedicated team to do exactly that when Alex was first found, and this has continued since.
Alex, now 17, re-emerged in 2023 when a delivery driver came across him in the Aude region of France.
He told the driver he had hiked for four days over the Pyrenees, having left his mother who he said wanted to go to Finland.
He has since been brought to the UK and is living with Susan Caruana, 68, his grandmother. He previously lived with her in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Alex has said while he disagrees with his mum’s decision, he doesn't want her to be imprisoned.
Upon being found last year, he said: “I don’t think they should get in touch with the police because I don’t want them to go to jail.”
Kidnapping a child carries a maximum sentence of seven years in the UK.
