Couple who took in Alex Batty share why he finally tried to go back to Britain
The reason why Alex Batty set off on a perilous journey across the Pyrenees after going missing for six years has now been revealed.
Alex began an attempted journey to Britain last Sunday in the hopes of getting a set of new identity papers from British authorities so that he could enrol at a school in France, where he had been living since his mother allegedly kidnapped him in 2017.
Alex, who went by the name of Zach in France, arrived at an isolated farmhouse known as the Gite de la Bastide in the Pyrenees with his mum and granddad in autumn 2021. The trio were looking for accommodation.
His grandfather took a role as a handyman in the farmhouse in exchange for board and lodgings for himself and Alex. While Alex and his granddad David, who went by Peter, stayed at the home, his mother and alleged abductor Melanie found a "spiritual" commune to reside in.
Alex's last known address, the Gite la Bastide in La Bastide in France (The Daily Mirror)The farm owners reportedly looked after the boy like he was their own, taking him on outings during the summer. These included cycling, beach and river trips. His life appears to have been somewhat chaotic, with him spending weeks or months with the family and spending some time with his mother in whichever community she was living in.
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According to the MailOnline, the boy had free run of the home, being allowed to take whatever he wanted from the fridge and having "unlimited" internet access".
But over recent weeks, Alex felt propelled to return to the UK so he could get the necessary identity documents he needed in order to take a place at a French school. He planned to study computer science.
While Alex and his granddad stayed at the farmhouse, his mother went off to live in a hippy commune (The Daily Mirror)The French couple have now shared a statement in which they wished the boy all the best for his future life in Oldham with his grandma. They also stressed how they knew nothing about his painful story untli reading about it in news reports.
Describing his time with them, they wrote: "He enjoyed sharing the dishes prepared by Fred and Ingrid, beef stew, chocolate cake, pasta bolognaise and vegetarian specialities. He was careful and keen to participate in the life of the Gite when he was there.
"On Sundays he would accompany us to the market to buy a Bagnat au Tuna [French bread tuna sandwich] and meet his mother. He was also part of our family and had good relations with our kids. We enjoyed time together in the summer, like cycling on rails, visiting the beach, the river, etc. The last time Zach / Alex came back to us was at the beginning of this summer. As time went on, we saw him as part of our family and we think he appreciated the stability and security we represent for him. He had a room to himself, unlimited internet access and was completely free to come and go as he pleased."
They ended the statement explaining how "eager" the youngster was to return to a "normal life" and education. He set off on his journey back to the UK from the farmhouse, they added.
"We reiterated to him that he would always be welcome and that if needed, we were there for him. The rest, as well as his real name and full story, we discovered in the press at the beginning of this week. We wish him the best of luck," they added.
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