Where is Alex Batty’s mum Melanie now? Inside the six-year disappearance that sparked a global search

Alex Batty, the British teenager who disappeared aged 11 before being found alive in France six years later, is opening up about the ordeal in a new BBC documentary, Kidnapped By My Mum.

Now 20, Alex has detailed what life was really like after he was taken abroad by his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty, in 2017 – describing isolation, conspiracy theories and living off-grid across Spain and France to avoid detection.

His disappearance sparked an international missing persons investigation and widespread media attention, with police later launching an alleged child abduction inquiry after he was found.

So where is Alex Batty’s mum Melanie now, and what happened during the years he was missing?

Alex Batty disappeared in October 2017 at the age of 11, after travelling from the UK to Spain with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather David Batty.

Although the trip had reportedly been planned as a short holiday to Marbella, Alex never returned home to Greater Manchester. His grandmother Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian, then reported him missing after his mum and grandfather failed to bring Alex back to the UK.

Over the following six years, Alex lived what he later described in a BBC interview as a nomadic lifestyle, moving between communes and rural communities in Spain, Morocco and south-west France, and being kept out of school.

The Gite de la Bastide lodging where Alex Batty and his grandfather used to stay here when they visited the village of Camps sur l’Agly (image taken December 2023)

Speaking in a new BBC documentary, Alex said he gradually became unhappy living away from mainstream society. "We used to sit at a cafe quite often and the school was right next to it," he said. "I'd hear the school bell ring, the kids would come out of school and it really made me miss it. I walked up to my mum and I cried my eyes out because you know, I'd had enough."

He also claimed his mother tried to influence his beliefs through anti-establishment and spiritual ideology.

In December 2023, Alex (then 17) escaped from a remote area in the French Pyrenees after deciding he wanted to return to the UK.

He was discovered walking alone near Toulouse in the early hours of the morning by a delivery driver, who later took him to police.

Alex reportedly told the driver his real name was Alex Batty and that he had been kidnapped by his mum. The teenager later reunited with his grandmother in the UK after six years apart.

Speaking in a press conference after Alex was found, Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said: "I think I speak on behalf of the whole of Greater Manchester Police when I say we were relieved and overjoyed to receive news from the French Authorities that they believe Alex Batty had been located safe and well, more than 6 years after his disappearance. This is a huge moment for Alex, for his family and for the community in Oldham.

"Alex went missing whilst on holiday in 2017 when he was just 11 years old. On Wednesday, a member a public reported a potential sighting in the Toulouse area of France. The young man identified as Alex and was taken to a French police station."

Sykes continued on to say Alex had spoken with his grandmother. "Our main priority now is to see Alex returned home to his family in the UK and our investigation team has been working around the clock with partner agencies to ensure they are fully supported.

"Alex and his family remain our focus – and we still have some work to do in establishing the full circumstances surrounding his disappearance and where he has been. I can only imagine the emotions they have experienced throughout this ordeal."

Melanie Batty’s current whereabouts are not publicly confirmed.

Following Alex’s return to the UK, Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation into his disappearance and alleged abduction. However, in January 2025, police confirmed the criminal investigation had been closed. Officers said there was “no realistic chance” of prosecution and that the family did not support criminal charges.

Some reports have suggested Melanie may have continued living an off-grid lifestyle in Europe after Alex left, but there is no verified public information confirming where she is now.

According to the BBC documentary coverage, Melanie Batty declined to respond to allegations made in the programme.

Alex says he is now focused on rebuilding his life after returning to the UK. Since coming home, he has completed GCSE qualifications and reportedly became a father earlier this year.

Kidnapped By My Mum is on BBC One at 10:40pm on 13 May 2026