MELANIE Batty became a known name when her 11-year-old son went missing with her in 2017.
Alex Batty has now been found in France, but who is Melanie?
Who is Melanie Batty?
Melanie Batty is the mum of Alex Batty who went missing in 2017.
She went on holiday with her dad, David, and son but they never returned.
They went to Spain on a pre-agreed trip but his grandmother and legal guardian Susan Caruana stayed in the UK.
The three of them were supposed to leave Spain after a week but were never seen again.
Who is Alex Batty’s grandmother?
Alex Batty’s grandmother is Susan Caruana, who was also his legal guardian.
At the time she thought they might have adopted “an alternative lifestyle” in another country.
She revealed that her daughter and ex-husband previously lived on a commune in Morocco with Alex in 2014.
She said at the time: “They didn’t want [Alex] to go to school, they don’t believe in mainstream school.”
In 2018 Susan said: “On the Sunday, they were due back in the afternoon and my husband was going to go and pick them up.
“I got this message on Facebook and it was a YouTube video of the three of them.
“They all spoke on it and Melanie said the reasons why they had done what they had done.
“Alex said it was a million times better being with his mum and grandad. Obviously it hurt me a bit but then my other concerns kicked in.
“The reason I believe they have done this is because basically my lifestyle, my belief systems, are not what they agree with – just simply living day to day, how normal people do.
“They didn’t want him to go to school, they don’t believe in mainstream school.”
What happened in Spain in 2017?
Melanie, Alex and David were due home on October 8, but inquiries at the time suggested they may have travelled from Malaga to Mellilla on the Moroccan border.
Police then launched an investigation.
Alex, now 17, has been found in Revel near Toulouse, southern France.
Reports havethat said he fled a rural spiritual community in the Pyrenees mountains.
It was a lorry driver than picked him up and got in touch with the police.
It was said that he didn’t show any ID to the police who questioned him but he was still able to identify himself.
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