French authorities announced on Thursday that a British adolescent, identified as Alex Batty from Greater Manchester, who went missing six years ago in Spain, has been located in a mountain region close to Toulouse in southern France.
The family has confirmed his identity, and he is expected to return to England soon, according to a spokesperson from the Toulouse public prosecution office. The ongoing criminal investigation into Batty’s disappearance is being led by British authorities.
Reports from French media reveal that Batty, who was 11 years old at the time, vanished during a trip with his mother and grandfather to Malaga, Spain, in 2017.
La Depeche, a French newspaper, disclosed that Batty had recently been staying with a spiritual community in the Ariege department in the Pyrenees mountains, known for attracting individuals seeking an alternative way of life.
While there are no specified sources, the paper suggests that Batty attempted to escape from the community. Concerns about his unusual behavior were raised by motorists who encountered him, leading to the alerting of emergency services.
