Alex Batty: Police issue update on criminal probe into disappearance
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Mr Batty went missing at the age of 11 after his mother took him to Spain with his grandfather. The criminal investigation into the alleged abduction of Alex Batty, who returned to the UK after six years abroad, has been discontinued because he and his family would not support a prosecution.
![[The criminal investigation into the alleged abduction of Alex Batty, who returned to the UK after six years abroad, has been discontinued (Family handout/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/22/12/afb5c49e1b5733d3696d5cf112c705d0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM3NjM0MTgx-2.74875294.jpg)
Greater Manchester Police said the inquiry into his disappearance between September 30 2017 and December 13 2023 has officially concluded because there is no “realistic chance of criminal prosecution”. Mr Batty and his grandmother Susan Caruana have been informed that case has been discontinued, police said.
He went missing at the age of 11 after his mother, who was not his legal guardian, took him on a pre-arranged trip to Spain with his grandfather. Mr Batty was found by a chiropody student near the French city of Toulouse in December 2023 after walking across the Pyrenees.
Detective Superintendent Matt Walker, who led the investigation said: “Alex and his safety has been at the forefront of our minds and actions since he was found in Toulouse, France, in 2023. “In our commitment to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alex’s disappearance be properly and thoroughly investigated.
“I led a dedicated team to do exactly that when Alex was first found, and this has continued since. “We have consulted with various partners, such as a complex case CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded there would be no realistic chance of criminal prosecution.
