Police issue major update in Alex Batty disappearance case

Alex Batty disappeared connected a household vacation successful 2017 (Image: PA)

Police person confirmed that Alex Batty’s parent and gramps won’t look transgression charges aft helium disappeared connected vacation successful 2017.

The Oldham teen was recovered successful France successful 2023, six years aft helium disappeared portion connected a household holiday successful Malaga.

Greater Manchester Police said a kid abduction probe had been dropped successful airy of his household not wanting to prosecute it and aft concluding that “there would beryllium nary realistic accidental of transgression prosecution”.

The now-18-year-old was surviving with his grandma Susan Caruana earlier his parent and gramps took him distant to Spain and defied a tribunal bid requiring them to instrumentality to the UK.

Ms Caruana launched a campaign to find her grandson pursuing his disappearance but has present said she doesn’t privation the relatives liable to look transgression proceedings. The teen has been surviving with his grandma since helium reappeared.

The teen has lived with his grandma since reappearing successful 2023 (Image: PA)

After being recovered wandering astir south-western France adjacent the Pyrenees successful December 2023, Alex said helium had been surviving a “nomadic life” with his parent and gramps successful the intervening period, staying successful communes and campsites astir Europe and North Africa.

“Alex and his information has been astatine the forefront of our minds and actions since helium was recovered successful Toulouse, France successful 2023,” Detective Superintendent Matt Walker, who led the investigation, said.

“In our committedness to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alex’s disappearance beryllium decently and thoroughly investigated,” helium added. “I led a dedicated squad to bash precisely that erstwhile Alex was archetypal found, and this has continued since.

“We person consulted with assorted partners, specified arsenic a analyzable lawsuit CPS lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded determination would beryllium nary realistic accidental of transgression prosecution.

“Given this, the close happening to bash is bring closure to this section of Alex and his family’s lives, peculiarly arsenic this is the result they wished for.”

“Alex is present an adult, safe, and reintegrated with beingness backmost successful Greater Manchester, surrounded by those who emotion him, which yet is the priority,” DS Walker said.

The 18-year-old has expressed interest astir his parent and granddad “getting locked up” successful the past. He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that specified a imaginable was “why [he] didn’t travel location sooner” successful an interrogation past year.

“I don’t privation them to spell to prison,” Ms Caruana besides told the broadcaster past January. 

“That’s the past happening I would want,” she added. “I utilized to deliberation astir Alex each azygous time and that was achy but present I won’t deliberation that mode immoderate more.”