Is Alex Batty's grandfather alive? Teen admits lying about David Batty's death in first interview after going missing for 6 years

Alex Batty, the British teenager verified that his mother Melanie, and his granddad David are still alive. However, he expressed concerns that they might face arrest if discovered by the police. The two individuals have been sought after ever since they took Alex on a vacation to Spain in 2017 and never returned to the United Kingdom.

Initially, Alex informed the police that his cherished grandfather, David, who went by the alias Peter, had passed away six months before his departure. However, the 17-year-old has now confessed that this information was false, and the 64-year-old tattoo artist is indeed alive.

In the days leading up to his escape, Alex Batty, along with his grandfather and mother, was present at Chalabre’s Cafe des Sports, using their assumed names, Zac, Peter, and Rose.

Although Alex admitted to being unaware of his grandfather's current whereabouts, stating that he is "moving around," he mentioned having lived with him and his mother previously. According to The Sun, Alex said:

“He (David) moved me to a property with mum. I know he’s not passed away but I don’t know where he is because he was just moving around.”

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Alex Batty's Le Great Escape Story

Alex Batty was allegedly taken by his grandfather, David Batty, and mother, Melanie Batty, who did not have parental guardianship powers, on vacation to Spain in 2017. The trio has been thought to lead a nomadic lifestyle, residing in spiritual communities in recent years.

According to Mail Online, Alex Batty departed because he desired a normal life after six years of wandering across Europe and had grown weary of the "hippy pain in the a** lifestyle" he shared with his mother. Alex Batty also mentioned that his mother held "anti-government" beliefs, including the notion that many people are "slaves."

On Monday, December 11, Alex allegedly left his home following an argument with his mother and grandfather. Carrying just a skateboard and a backpack filled with clothes and essentials, he embarked on a journey to the nearest city, Toulouse, which was 70 miles away.

Alex Batty told The Sun:

"I had an argument with my mum and I just thought I'm gonna leave because I can't live with her."

As per The Telegraph, Alex covered a distance of 22 miles over two days before a concerned delivery driver noticed him carrying a skateboard at 3 am and stopped to offer assistance. Using the driver's phone, the teenager contacted his legal guardian, his grandmother Susan Caruana, 68, and sent a text saying, 'please pick up,' as reported by The Sun.

During questioning by the police, Alex Batty reportedly claimed that his mother had relocated to Finland to witness the Northern Lights. According to him, his grandfather had passed away, and he had participated in a memorial meditation ceremony.

However, sources close to the French investigation, as reported by The Sun, indicated that there was a significant possibility that his grandfather was still alive.

Sebastian, the French neighbor of David aka Peter, told the Mail Online:

“Peter is not dead. I saw him a week ago, maybe ten days ago. He was mowing the grass in front of the Gite. Peter was a nice person. He was very shy."

A Manchester Police spokesperson told The Independent:

“There likely won’t be anything else now until Alex has been properly spoken with by GMP, which will be at a pace that’s right for him."

When the spokesperson was asked by the The Independent about the grandad's whereabouts, she added:

“Grandad status is unknown to us, that came from the French press conference, so not something I can confirm for you at this point.”

As per The Independent, another source said:

“There is every possibility that Alex’s grandfather, David Batty, is still alive. There does not seem to be a death certificate or any other kind of official confirmation of his death.”

Now under the guardianship of his legal caretaker, his grandmother in Oldham, Alex Batty is finding stability and support in familiar surroundings.

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Alex Batty realizations

According to The Sun, Alex had become weary of the perpetual cycle of changing residences and assisting his grandfather, David, in exchange for basic necessities like food and rent. Alex said:

“I first started thinking about leaving when I was 14 or 15. I realised it wasn’t a great way to live for my future. The cloud had lifted because I started weighing everything up again — the pros and cons of England. I wouldn’t know what was going to happen in my future if I were to stay with my mum, but from the past few years I could get a picture of what life would have been like."

Throughout his six years away, he formed only one friendship with someone his age—a Spanish girl he encountered in a cafe.

He told,

“Moving around. No friends, no social life. Working, working, work and not studying. That’s the life I imagined I would be leading if I were to stay with my mum."

Despite not attending school, he independently learned languages and delved into maths and computing through textbooks. Driven by his newfound goals, he aspires to become a Software Engineer.