Alex Batty, the Manchester teenager who vanished for six years before escaping in the French Pyrenees in 2023, has spoken publicly for the first time in a new BBC documentary titled Kidnapped By My Mum. The 20-year-old recounts his abduction by his mother and grandfather in 2017, when he was 11, and the years he spent living off-grid across Europe.
In the documentary, Alex describes being forced to sleep in a tent during winter while his mother remained in a warm campervan. 'I was living in a tent for a few months whilst my mum had this really nice warm campervan next to me. It was wintertime, raining, it was wet, it was cold all the time,' he says. He also reveals he often ate just one meal of pasta a day due to financial constraints.
Alex's grandmother, Susan Caruna, recalls how she reluctantly agreed to let Alex go on a short holiday with his mother, Melanie, and grandfather, despite them lacking legal custody. She says she felt 'like they put a spell on me' to make her say yes. After the trip, a video was sent to Susan in which Alex appeared to read a scripted message saying he wanted to stay with his mother and grandfather, and pleading for no search to be made.
The documentary also reveals missed opportunities to rescue Alex. Campsite owners Angelique and Serena, who hosted the family in France, admit they did not know Alex's true identity. Serena says she called French social services after witnessing Alex sleeping in a tent in freezing conditions, but the call did not lead to his rescue. Alex escaped in December 2023 by walking for hours along mountain roads before flagging down a motorist and saying, 'I've been kidnapped'.
