Police close criminal investigation into disappearance of teenager who vanished for six years
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The mother and grandfather of the British boy who went missing for six years will not face any criminal charges, police have said, after the family withdrew support for a prosecution. Alex Batty was 11 when he disappeared in 2017 after travelling to Spain with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty, for a holiday.
They did not return, and Alex was reported missing a week later by his grandmother, Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian while he was under the age of 18. It began a police investigation that would span six years. Alex was found when a medical student offered him a lift in the early hours of Wednesday after seeing him walking alone in heavy rain near southern France, about an hour from Toulouse.
Alex initially gave a fake name, saying he was called Zac, but quickly started opening up and told him he had been kidnapped by his mother when he was 11. The teenager revealed he had been hiking in the mountains for four days in an attempt to return home to England.
He now lives in Greater Manchester, "surrounded by those who love him", the police have said. Kyle Clifford pleads guilty to murders of racing commentator's wife and daughters. Boy, 12, stabbed to death in Birmingham - as 14-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder.
Prince Harry settles court case with The Sun's publisher. A criminal investigation was launched into his disappearance, but this has now been closed after Alex's family withdrew support. After consulting various partners, Greater Manchester Police also concluded there would be no realistic chance of a prosecution.
