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Alex Batty’s Mum Abducted Him as a Boy. Now He's Ready to Talk to Her Again

Alex says he was cut off from normal life for six years after being taken by his mother and grandfather, and now has a baby daughter.

  • On Wednesday, Alex Batty recounts his 2017 abduction and six years missing in a new BBC documentary, *Kidnapped By My Mum*, which retraces his journey across Spain and France.
  • In September 2017, Melanie Batty and David Batty took Alex from Oldham on a pre-arranged holiday; neither adult was his legal guardian, triggering an international missing person investigation.
  • During his six years missing, Alex lived in tents during winter and ate "just one meal a day" while his mother prioritized spiritual work over his education and basic amenities.
  • After escaping in December 2023, Alex returned to Oldham to live with his legal guardian, Susan Caruana, passing his Maths and English GCSEs and becoming a father in January.
  • Despite his frustration that authorities "did nothing," Alex expressed hope to "build that bridge again" with his family, though Greater Manchester Police discontinued their investigation in January 2025 citing "no realistic chance of prosecution.
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Liverpool Echo broke the news in Liverpool, United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
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