Found Alive France - Alex Batty, 11 from Oldham Uk, parental abduction, 2017 *found alive in France after walking in Mountains*

[vls12345]

There is a 'live' news conference from France right now on Sky news channel and I believe you can rewind to the beginning. There are some interesting facts coming out. Here is the link. No idea if it will be the same link after it has finished being Live.

Apparently the Grandfather died 6 months ago. The mother wanted to go to live in Finland and this prompted AB to leave.

edited to ask, is there anyone from France here? They mentioned a town I'm trying to find on maps but it sounded phonetically like Gooj. I can't find it and wondered if anyone know how to spell that? Would that be Gudas? MOO AB said he didn't know where he had been living for the past 2-3 years but he was familiar with Gooj (no idea how to spell this) and the people there were friendly apparently.

Guzet?

It's in the Ariege region.

 

[LordMo]

Ah, I read 'read' as being past tense!

this is the hazard of the English language being such a moving target, I also made the same mistake!

 

[Elley Mae]

Inside Alex Batty's six-year life in 'reincarnation' commune

Alex Batty, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was just 11 when he did not return from a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie, then 37, and grandfather David, then 58, in 2017.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The image of grandfather at link in black shirt reminds me of marshall applewhite, heavens gate.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Guzet?

It's in the Ariege region.

Thanks. Could well be that. It's very remote and very small. Comes up as Guzet-Neige. It sounds like that was their nearest point of facilities/other people. JMO. Edited to add JMO.

 

[ifindedout]

Inside Alex Batty's six-year life in 'reincarnation' commune

Alex Batty, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was just 11 when he did not return from a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie, then 37, and grandfather David, then 58, in 2017.

www.dailymail.co.uk

From this story, the D16 road in the area where he was found:

On Google StreetView:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

BTW, the designation D16 ends at the department boundary of Aude and Ariege, whereupon it becomes D7.

 

[dotr]

WOW!!!

 

[Cedars]

They mentioned a town I'm trying to find on maps but it sounded phonetically like Gooj. I can't find it and wondered if anyone know how to spell that? Would that be Gudas? MOO AB said he didn't know where he had been living for the past 2-3 years but he was familiar with Gooj (no idea how to spell this) and the people there were friendly apparently.

Do you mean where the spokesman says, at around 23 minutes, that the boy knew about the town of Toulouse, as being a welcoming place...?

Tolouse is pronounced with little stress on the 'to', so can sound like 'loojsh'...

From what I'm hearing, I don't think he ran away, he had 100 Euro that his mother probably gave him. I think he's protecting his mother by being so vague.

JMO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Do you mean where the spokesman says, at around 23 minutes, that the boy knew about the town of Toulouse, as being a welcoming place...?

Tolouse is pronounced with little stress on the 'to', so can sound like 'loojsh'...

From what I'm hearing, I don't think he ran away, he had 100 Euro that his mother probably gave him. I think he's protecting his mother by being so vague.

JMO

Oh I'm not sure now. That is great info. Yes he could well be being vague. Thanks very much. JMO

 

[Officer Dibble]

The ramshackle French mountain farm where Alex Batty was known as Zak.

Travelling by night, and sleeping rough in gardens by day, Alex Batty spent four long days trekking more than 30 miles, across muddy, rain-lashed, mountainous terrain in his bid for freedom.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Vern]

Found it. Very scenic by the photos that have been posted. There are some reviews of the farmhouse (the gîte de la Bastide) where Alex worked posted with photos.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.ca

The ramshackle French mountain farm where Alex Batty was known as Zak.

Travelling by night, and sleeping rough in gardens by day, Alex Batty spent four long days trekking more than 30 miles, across muddy, rain-lashed, mountainous terrain in his bid for freedom.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[ifindedout]

Found it. Very scenic by the photos that have been posted. There are some reviews of the farmhouse (the gîte de la Bastide) where Alex worked posted with photos.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.ca

The ramshackle French mountain farm where Alex Batty was known as Zak.

Travelling by night, and sleeping rough in gardens by day, Alex Batty spent four long days trekking more than 30 miles, across muddy, rain-lashed, mountainous terrain in his bid for freedom.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Thanks, Vern. Google offered up a multitude of La Bastides in this region, I gave up trying to find it.

Gîte - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[JennieM]

The mountain wilderness where British teen Alex Batty lived for six years​

The mountain wilderness where British teen Alex Batty lived for six years

Since disappearing in 2017, the 17-year-old has reportedly been living in a commune near the French town of Quillan.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[otto]

Guzet?

It's in the Ariege region.

Here?

OpenTopoMap - Topographische Karten aus OpenStreetMap

direkt zur Karte...

opentopomap.org

 

[Officer Dibble]

Found it. Very scenic by the photos that have been posted. There are some reviews of the farmhouse (the gîte de la Bastide) where Alex worked posted with photos.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.ca

The ramshackle French mountain farm where Alex Batty was known as Zak.

Travelling by night, and sleeping rough in gardens by day, Alex Batty spent four long days trekking more than 30 miles, across muddy, rain-lashed, mountainous terrain in his bid for freedom.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I wonder if the mother who wasn't guardian of her son is still there or not?

 

[Officer Dibble]

It doesn't sound like the French police are pursuing the mother who allegedly abducted AB but they are leaving that to the British Police. Has anyone seen any reference as to where she is, apart from maybe already in Finland? She can't be hard to find as her son said when they moved she carried the solar panels with her. JMO Edited to add: JMO

 

[Howl]

I'd be very concerned about the possibility that AB has suffered social isolation and educational neglect and would be lacking in so many skills needed to get on in the world now that he's on the brink of adulthood. He's also been raised by two people who think that kidnapping a child and going on the lam is just fine. I'm also wondering -- where was the money coming to finance this itinerant life?

So very touching that he struck out in winter's rain and cold, into a seemingly unknown world, to get back home to his grandmother. Also very touching: he brought his skateboard along? That is so 17-year-old, but also practical as an aid to make some distance, a bit faster than walking.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

curious about the commune they lived in and what the "alternative" phrasing might apply to, but wow, also can't believe this is not bigger news.

I'd read his memoir. Just wow, can you imagine what he is feeling these days...

ETA: he contends he could leave anytime, was not being "held" by his mum. But... at 12, 13, 14, 15... what could he have done? Reportedly, mum and granddad don't "believe in mainstream" education and schooling. ugh, he is safe now, his grandma must be over the moon, that is paramount of course.

This story will be getting bigger as the days go by.

There have been so many cases of "strange parenting" lately........ so many in Arizona!! Ha!!.
The young man's trek, and the way he was picked up, and the longing grandmother is movie material.... If he is willing............ he will be interviewed constantly....

its a love story.

 

[Elley Mae]

The driver, Fabien Accidini, told French media on Friday that the teenager originally gave his name as Zach and said he was “very, very tired”.

Alex Batty fled across Pyrenees after mother planned Finland move, French police say

British teen allegedly kidnapped in 2017 told passing driver ‘I need a future’ after he was found in remote corner of France

www.theguardian.com

Accidini added: “He’d had enough. He said: ‘I am 17. I need a future.’ He didn’t see a future for himself there.”

…

 

[Elley Mae]

Going home today.

Alex Batty to be flown home to UK TODAY six years after going missing

Alex Batty will be flown back to the UK today to be reunited with his grandmother six years after going missing from a holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[seasideForest]

Here's an interview with the delivery driver, Fabien Accidini, who gave Alex a lift, talked to him and eventually took him to the French police.

British teen Alex Batty left mother to avoid Finland move - French officials

Alex Batty was constantly on the move since going missing in 2017, French officials say.

www.bbc.com

Watching and listening to this delivery driver, I was thinking - what a nice young man and how wonderful that Alex came across him rather than the sort of person we unfortunately read about on here who might have done him harm instead! (Not that no lost person has ever been genuinely helped, but there's always the danger of the opposite.)

MOO