Alex Batty: Teen from Oldham missing for six years found in France

General Chat In The News
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1

Well, this is a strange case, isn’t it

It seems he’s been living with his mother and grandfather in a commune in France, living in tents and caravans?

I wonder what happened originally for the grandmother to have custody?

Is she the paternal grandmother? Did the marriage break up? Where’s this child’s father?

And if his mother wasn’t suitable to have custody of him, why was she allowed to take him on holiday?

We don’t know if he always unhappy in the commune or tried to leave before? I’m wondering if he’s left now as a type of teenage rebellion. Or is the commune more sinister?

I’m glad he’s turned up safe and well, his grandmother must be so relieved

But there’s obviously a lot more to this story

2

I’ve just read elsewhere that she is the maternal grandmother and used to be married to David Batty, the grandfather who took him away and the mother is both their daughters

So how come she had guardianship and not the mother, I wonder, and why did she let them take him on holiday?

And is the father not involved at all?

If the boy was with his mum, he might not have felt that he’d been abducted or was considered missing?

3

Saw this on our news & I wondered why the Grandmother had custody of the boy too. They didn’t say. He’s on his way back to his Gran now, 6 years since she’s seen him, or presumably heard from him. Strange story.

4

Very strange, he’s almost an adult now so I expect he will have changed a good bit.

5

There was a cryptic comment on the radio news this morning wondering what had happened to the mother.

Is she missing?

6

I think she moves around a lot and the lad refused to go with her this time. I believe he knows where she is but refuses to say.

7

now all he needs to do is get a good agent ; make a film and he’ll make a fortune!

1 Like
8

I thought the very same bret.

9

I read that his grandfather, the one who took him with his mother, died recently so maybe that triggered him to leave

As he was with his mother and grandmother, he might not have felt “kidnapped” or missing?

Definitely a movie and book in there if he plays his cards right!