Alex's mum abducted him as a boy. Now he's ready to talk to her again

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Alex's mum abducted him as a boy. Now he's ready to talk to her again15 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleGeorge SandemanandEllen Kirwin Watch: Alex Batty talks about coming to terms with what his mother didAlex Batty, who was abducted as a child and taken to live abroad by his mother, has contacted her for the first time since his return to the UK in 2023. Alex, from Oldham, was declared missing by his grandmother in 2017, aged 11, after his mother and grandfather abducted him while on holiday in Spain, before moving to France.

His mother, Melanie, who was not his legal guardian and was heavily influenced by conspiracy theories, told him to throw away his passport. They then lived part of the time off-grid, and he did not attend school. In a new documentary, Alex, now 20, retraced his years in isolation, which at one point saw him living in a tent, sometimes eating just one meal a day and carrying out manual labour for money.

The Details

By taking part in the documentary, he hoped to understand more about his mother and why she did what she did. "My relationship with my mum, it's such a complicated thing," he told the in his most in-depth interview since fleeing his mother. "I'm annoyed at what she did...

the experiences I missed out on and my lack of education. "Alex was declared missing aged 11As part of the Three documentary, now available on iPlayer, he also spoke to people they met in small towns and villages across Spain and France, saying it "opened up my eyes". Reliving his teenage years brought up conflicting emotions for Alex.

He learned more about his mother, but on learning how others perceived their situation, he worried it could "villainise" her. Alex, who recently started a family of his own after becoming a father to a baby girl, said the experience of making the documentary led him to reach out to his mother again. But the journey was not easy: Alex confronted people he met while missing about why they did not contact services to help him.

What Experts Say

He also learned that some people did alert authorities in France - but that help never came. Alex was just a child when Melanie became engrossed in the "sovereign citizen" movement, which holds governments worldwide to be illegitimate. Followers believe they can opt out of laws and practices they do not agree with, such as paying mortgages.

This led to their family home being repossessed when Alex was eight and Melanie selling all her belongings to live with like-minded people in Morocco. They returned six months later when they ran out of money and it was then that Alex moved in with his grandmother Susan, who was given legal responsibility for him despite Melanie's disapproval of not being his legal guardian. When Susan reluctantly let Melanie take him on holiday to Marbella in September 2017, he never returned.

Susan contacted the police in the UK and a widespread media appeal was launched, but Alex, Melanie and David could not be found.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.