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

[Snoopster]

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

Yes, I was impressed with the delivery driver as well. This was a great interview.

 

[Vern]

...

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.

RSBM,

It was quite a walk. From the gîte where he worked: Cabania - Gîte de la Bastide, 11190 Camps-sur-l'Agly, France all the way to Revel. According to googlemaps, 24 hours of walking, in daylight, in good weather.

I think Alex moved at night ... and in bad weather. All in mountanous terrain. He certainly has determination. I hope that he succeeds in life. He certainly deserves it.

Cabania - Gîte de la Bastide to Revel

www.google.ca

 

[Snoopster]

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 for the specific location of where he lived.
As an aside, I travelled in that area about 6 years ago...the Gite where Alex stayed was very close to Gorges de Galamus, a spectaclar (but terrifying) drive that is worth a visit if you aren't scared of heights! The entire area is spectacular, dotted with medieval towns, forts, castles and abbeys. We stayed in Limoux, which was lovely, and drove through Quillan (mentioned below).

Here is an interesting BBC article about the closest major town to Gite de La Bastide, Quillan, and describing how the off-the-grid types, like Alex's family, would come to town to sell a few things and buy a few supplies. The locals are used to seeing them.
The mountain wilderness where British teen Alex Batty lived for years

 

[Snoopster]

RSBM,

It was quite a walk. From the gîte where he worked: Cabania - Gîte de la Bastide, 11190 Camps-sur-l'Agly, France all the way to Revel. According to googlemaps, 24 hours of walking, in daylight, in good weather.

I think Alex moved at night ... and in bad weather. All in mountanous terrain. He certainly has determination. I hope that he succeeds in life. He certainly deserves it.

View attachment 468435

Cabania - Gîte de la Bastide to Revel

www.google.ca

I'm not sure if he walked all of the way to Revel. I believe that is where the delivery driver dropped him off. In his interview the delivery driver said that he and Alex drove for 3 hours along his delivery route, before he was dropped off. It's possible I've got this wrong though.

In any case, 4 full nights of walking and then sleeping rough and hiding during the day at this time of year must have been exhausting! I wonder how he knew the way to Toulouse.

 

[Snoopster]

They survived doing odd jobs and gardening, and going from place to place with little more than their home-grown vegetables and Melanie Batty's prized solar panels.

"Through all these years this young man went through life carrying solar panels, deciding only to travel by car-sharing," said the prosecutor, "always in places where there were big houses and several families coming in, going out, and never the same."

Alex Batty's long night journey home on unlit roads

 

[Officer Dibble]

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

Both the delivery driver and AB took a leap of faith with one another. JMO

 

[Megsc]

Never heard of this story before, but it's so good to see that kind of end
Gives me hope for many other missing kids!!

 

[ifindedout]

Opportunity was blown for authorities to find him on their own a month ago

Police 'missed an early chance to send Alex Batty home' after he 'tried to enrol in school' - but no-one recognised him

Police are said to have missed a chance to get Alex Batty back to the UK after he tried to sign up for a school in France - but no one recognised the missing teenager.

www.lbc.co.uk

Oldham boy Alex, who has been missing in Spain and France for six years after his mother and grandfather took him to join a 'spiritual community', tried to enrol at a school in Quillan, south-east France, last month, French media have reported.

But the 17-year-old spoke little French and had no identification papers, and so the school contacted the police, according to La Depeche.

"The gendarmes tried to contact the English authorities," an investigating source told the paper, but "there was a hiccup which did not allow the report to be followed up.

"Collaboration [between the French and the British] did not make it possible to establish a link between the presence of Alex Batty in Quillan and his disappearance notice issued seven years earlier in England."

---

Unrelated but further down in the story, is the quote (BBM):
The French prosecutor said Alex did not describe the group in the mountains as a "sect" but was instead "talking of a spiritual community".

He continued: "The mother experienced a sort of fear of solar panels, so they were travelling from house to house with solar panels.

Traveling with solar panels (and depending on them for electricity) and at the same time fearing them makes no sense. It is almost certainly a mistranslation of the quote found in the DM, already posted upthread Inside Alex Batty's six-year life in 'reincarnation' commune
(BBM) 'The mother experienced a sort of obsession with solar panels, so they were travelling to house to house with solar panels,' Leroy said.

which makes more sense.

 

[Snoopster]

Opportunity was blown for authorities to find him on their own a month ago

Oldham boy Alex, who has been missing in Spain and France for six years after his mother and grandfather took him to join a 'spiritual community', tried to enrol at a school in Quillan, south-east France, last month, French media have reported.

But the 17-year-old spoke little French and had no identification papers, and so the school contacted the police, according to La Depeche.

"The gendarmes tried to contact the English authorities," an investigating source told the paper, but "there was a hiccup which did not allow the report to be followed up.

"Collaboration [between the French and the British] did not make it possible to establish a link between the presence of Alex Batty in Quillan and his disappearance notice issued seven years earlier in England."

---

Unrelated but further down in the story, is the quote (BBM):
The French prosecutor said Alex did not describe the group in the mountains as a "sect" but was instead "talking of a spiritual community".

He continued: "The mother experienced a sort of fear of solar panels, so they were travelling from house to house with solar panels.

Traveling with solar panels (and depending on them for electricity) and at the same time fearing them makes no sense. It is almost certainly a mistranslation of the quote found in the DM, already posted upthread Inside Alex Batty's six-year life in 'reincarnation' commune
(BBM) 'The mother experienced a sort of obsession with solar panels, so they were travelling to house to house with solar panels,' Leroy said.

which makes more sense.

It sounds to me that this semi-nomadic family traveled with solar panels which was their entree into a new community. No doubt some of these communities valued the energy.

 

[Officer Dibble]

It's all coming out now. I've been busy all day so only just read this. Apologies if its already been posted. Alex Batty's life in French farmhouse revealed: Boy stayed with couple

Edited to add, how lovely of the couple to look after him on an ad hoc basis and include him in their family life. JMO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Opportunity was blown for authorities to find him on their own a month ago

Oldham boy Alex, who has been missing in Spain and France for six years after his mother and grandfather took him to join a 'spiritual community', tried to enrol at a school in Quillan, south-east France, last month, French media have reported.

But the 17-year-old spoke little French and had no identification papers, and so the school contacted the police, according to La Depeche.

"The gendarmes tried to contact the English authorities," an investigating source told the paper, but "there was a hiccup which did not allow the report to be followed up.

"Collaboration [between the French and the British] did not make it possible to establish a link between the presence of Alex Batty in Quillan and his disappearance notice issued seven years earlier in England."

---

Unrelated but further down in the story, is the quote (BBM):
The French prosecutor said Alex did not describe the group in the mountains as a "sect" but was instead "talking of a spiritual community".

He continued: "The mother experienced a sort of fear of solar panels, so they were travelling from house to house with solar panels.

Traveling with solar panels (and depending on them for electricity) and at the same time fearing them makes no sense. It is almost certainly a mistranslation of the quote found in the DM, already posted upthread Inside Alex Batty's six-year life in 'reincarnation' commune
(BBM) 'The mother experienced a sort of obsession with solar panels, so they were travelling to house to house with solar panels,' Leroy said.

which makes more sense.

I'm sorry to laugh but the 'hiccup' made me laugh hard:

"But the 17-year-old spoke little French and had no identification papers, and so the school contacted the police, according to La Depeche.

"The gendarmes tried to contact the English authorities," an investigating source told the paper, but "there was a hiccup which did not allow the report to be followed up.

"Collaboration [between the French and the British] did not make it possible to establish a link between the presence of Alex Batty in Quillan and his disappearance notice issued seven years earlier in England."

I'm guessing and it's just my opinion, that its the British Police system where the hiccup occurred. I'm basing this on the fact of living in the UK and following many cases over the years where witness reporting hasn't got through to the investigation team. JMO MOO

 

[Vern]

Alex Batty's grandfather 'is NOT dead', says neighbour

EXCLUSIVE: French authorities said yesterday that David Batty had died six months ago and that his grandson Alex had attended a spiritual memorial ceremony to honour him.

www.dailymail.co.uk

...
The fugitive grandfather of abducted British teenager Alex Batty did not die six months ago, but was seen alive and less than ten days ago, neighbours of the isolated farmhouse where he was living have revealed.

French authorities looking into the discovery of the British youngster in the south of France told a press conference yesterday that David Batty had died six months ago and that his grandson Alex had attended a spiritual memorial ceremony to honour him.

...

 

[Officer Dibble]

Alex Batty's grandfather 'is NOT dead', says neighbour

EXCLUSIVE: French authorities said yesterday that David Batty had died six months ago and that his grandson Alex had attended a spiritual memorial ceremony to honour him.

www.dailymail.co.uk

omg

 

[Officer Dibble]

..

 

[Officer Dibble]

Alex Batty's grandfather 'is NOT dead', says neighbour

EXCLUSIVE: French authorities said yesterday that David Batty had died six months ago and that his grandson Alex had attended a spiritual memorial ceremony to honour him.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I'm guessing that either A) AB chose to say his Grandfather had died to protect him and it was AB's decision to say that or B) The Grandfather knew Alex was going somewhere and they planned together what to say. However, funny how the entire story I posted a few hours ago here, with the Couple who own the Gite explaining the boy lived with them half the time, they never mentioned the Grandfather - which is the link I've quoted here, says Grandfather lived there as a handyman. So is everyone covering up for the Grandfather? Out of loyalty? JMO MOO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Mother of ‘kidnapped’ Alex Batty hunted by Interpol after “travelling to Finland”

The 17-year-old finally returned to the United Kingdom last night, more than six years after he disappeared while on holiday near Marbella

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Lucy6226]

This keeps getting wilder and wholesome at the same time!

I'm guessing Alex was protecting his grandfather who by the neighbours account seems to have been there for Alex far more than the mother. Thankfully the lovely couple took them in, obviously they weren't to know he was a missing child. I think things could have turned out very different if not for this couple and the student who picked up roadside. We read about it enough here.

So glad he is back safe with his grandmother. I wonder if he will want to be known as Alex or if he has got used to his alias?

 

[Officer Dibble]

The plot thickens! This article says the Gite owners last saw him in the Summer. So where was he travelling from? My guess is, having read the article I posted above this post (post number 56) that the mother was in hiding between Aude and Ariege as that is where the boy departed from - either that or nearby where the lorry driver picked him perhaps? That would mean AB did not travel 4 days/nights. Nothing adds up. If the mother made it to Finland they are not tracing her currently by her passport so I guess she isn't there. Perhaps hiding in plain sight in the original area? JMO MOO

Alex Batty’s surprising stay in a lodge in Aude – Libération - SamaGame News

Two owners of an Occitan gîte claim to have welcomed the missing British teenager several times since 2017. In a moving statement, they say they have become

samagame.com

 

[Snoopster]

The plot thickens! This article says the Gite owners last saw him in the Summer. So where was he travelling from? My guess is, having read the article I posted above this post (post number 56) that the mother was in hiding between Aude and Ariege as that is where the boy departed from - either that or nearby where the lorry driver picked him perhaps? That would mean AB did not travel 4 days/nights. Nothing adds up. If the mother made it to Finland they are not tracing her currently by her passport so I guess she isn't there. Perhaps hiding in plain sight in the original area? JMO MOO

Alex Batty’s surprising stay in a lodge in Aude – Libération - SamaGame News

Two owners of an Occitan gîte claim to have welcomed the missing British teenager several times since 2017. In a moving statement, they say they have become

samagame.com

from the video at the link below, it is now revealed that he was picked on on D16 outside of Chalabre. Chalabre is about 45 km from Gite de la Bastide, and definitely not near Revel, where he was dropped off by the kind delivery driver. He apparently told the driver that he wanted to go to Mirepoix, which is on the way to Toulouse. (Mirepoix is another fabulous medieval village to visit, particularly on market day! It is quite popular with tourists.)

Alex Batty's life in French farmhouse revealed: Boy stayed with couple

 

[imstilla.grandma]

British boy Alex Batty found after missing for six years.

The names of the accused are Ashwajit Gaikwad, Romil Patil and Sagar Shedge. We have seized a 4-wheeler vehicle. Further probe underway," said Amarsingh Jadhav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Thane.

---

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday seized the vehicle and arrested the three accused-- Ashwajit Gaikwad , who is a senior bureaucrat's son, and his two associates, Romil Patil and Sagar Shedge --in the Thane run-over case in which a woman was badly injured.

The victim, Priya Singh , who alleged that her boyfriend, who is a senior bureaucrat's son, allegedly tried to mow her down with his car in Thane city, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "justice" and claimed that on Saturday night policemen compelled her to sign something, but she refused.

"Probe underway": DCP on Thane run-over case | Headlines

"Three accused have been arrested in connection with this case. The names of the accused are Ashwajit Gaikwad, Romil Patil and Sagar Shedge. We have seized a 4-wheeler vehicle. Further probe underway," said Amarsingh Jadhav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Thane.

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