December 31st 2023.
Alex Batty's story is one of incredible courage and resilience. The 11-year-old went missing six years ago, when his mother and grandfather took him away on a two-week holiday to Spain. This holiday was supposed to be a brief respite from the nomadic lifestyle Alex had been living, but it turned into an unexpected six-year journey when the family never returned.
After Alex's return to his legal guardian and grandmother Susan Caruana this month, his mother Melanie broke her silence and told her friends that she was "staying on the run" with her father David. The family had been living in Villefort, France, before they left, and it is now believed that Melanie fled to a commune near the village of Bugarach.
According to expat Tony Smith, who used to let his converted cowshed to Melanie, she emailed him last week to say that she had to keep running and believes that she is with Alex's grandfather. This commune is known for being a conspiracy theorist hotbed; in 2012, it was flooded by doomsday cult believers who thought it would be the only safe place when the world ends.
The source close to Melanie believes that members of the secretive commune will do anything to protect their own. A resident in the Bugarach area has also commented on the remoteness of the village, saying that it is easy to hide someone there. Melanie is said to have been travelling in a white Peugeot 208 with a close Italian friend called Fabrizio, who she calls her ‘disciple’.
Alex's journey home began when he decided to leave his family after becoming fed up of his nomadic lifestyle with no friends or social life. He wrote his mother a farewell letter before setting off, telling her that he loved her and not to worry about him as he could take care of himself.
He was eventually picked up by a delivery driver near Toulouse in France. The driver, Fabien Accidini, said that Alex had been living in a spiritual community with his mum for the past two years.
Alex is now back home in the UK and is celebrating his first Christmas with his family and friends. He was given presents such as Irn-Bru, crisps, and tickets to go and watch Manchester United.
Alex Batty's story is one of incredible courage and strength. His return to the UK is a testament to his determination and his resilience in the face of adversity. He is now enjoying a new life with his family and is looking forward to the future.
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