A 13-year-old British lad, now 17, resurfaced at a French police station after an astonishing six-year journey. This revelation emerged from the public prosecutor's office in Toulouse, France. The authorities acknowledged the youngster's identification based on family photographs, and he's scheduled to return to the UK soon.
The youngster had initially embarked on a family vacation to Spain with his mother and grandfather in 2017. However, the trio never returned, leading to a missing persons report filed by his grandmother. This enigmatic lad was spotted multiple times in Morocco and Spain during his six-year absence, sending ripples of confusion amongst the authorities.
Latest reports indicate that the boy, his mother, and grandfather had been living in a nomadic spiritual community in southwest France. The 17-year-old made the decision to leave this group and wandered aimlessly for several days before a lorry driver offered him a ride to the Revel police station.
Though initially planning a holiday in Spain, this family from the UK ended up on an unplanned detour towards a cult in southern Europe and Morocco. France seemingly missed the opportunity to intervene during this shift in their journey.
Sources: - - The unnamed British boy turned 17 during his six-year odyssey, and police in Manchester describe his disappearance as a "complex and lengthy investigation." They've stated the need for further inquiries and safeguarding measures, acknowledging the Boy's six-year journey with his mother and grandfather who allegedly joined a cult.
- Reports from France 3 reveal that the boy had been traveling with his mother and grandfather, both banned from contact with the boy by his grandmother. The family had been spotted on various occasions in Morocco and Spain throughout their six-year absence. The teenager, who left a spiritual nomadic community in France, was eventually picked up by a lorry driver and handed over to French authorities.
- The family, hailing from Britain, had embarked on a planned holiday in Spain in 2017. Unfortunately, they ventured off course towards a cult in southern Europe and Morocco, an opportunity that France may have missed to intervene. The unidentified 11-year-old boy, Alex Batty, eventually resurfaced in France, leading to an investigation by Detective Superintendent Matt Walker of Scotland Yard's Kidnapping and Abduction Unit.
