Alex Batty, the Manchester teenager who was kidnapped by his mother and grandfather in 2017, has spoken publicly for the first time in a new BBC documentary titled Kidnapped By My Mum. The 20-year-old reveals the full story of his six-year disappearance and the ideology that kept him hidden.
In the documentary, Alex's grandmother Susan Caruna recalls how she reluctantly agreed to let Alex go on holiday with his mother Melanie and grandfather. 'It was like they put a spell on me,' she says. 'I can't explain why I said yes.' On the day Alex was due to return, Susan received a video of Alex reading a scripted message saying he wanted to live with his mother, after which all communication ceased.
Alex describes living off-grid in France, surviving on one meal a day of pasta and sauce. He says his mother forced him to sleep in a tent during winter while she stayed in a warm campervan. 'It was constant battles, constant arguments, constant yelling. So, she kicked me out of her campervan,' he says.
The documentary reveals missed opportunities to rescue Alex. Campsite owners Angelique and Serena tell Alex they were unaware of his true identity. Serena recalls calling French social services after seeing Alex sleeping in a small tent throughout the freezing winter months, but was told he was a foreign national and no action was taken.
Alex eventually escaped in 2023, trekking through the French Pyrenees before flagging down a motorist and saying, 'I've been kidnapped.' He is now living with his grandmother in the UK.
