Where is Melanie Batty now? Kidnapped By My Mum viewers demand answers as Alex Batty’s mother threatens to tell “her own story”
Alex Batty was taken at the age of 11 and missing for six years
Kidnapped By My Mum tells the story of Alex Batty, a British man who – as the documentary’s title suggests – was abducted by his own mother, Melanie Batty.
The new documentary follows Alex, now 20 years old, as he retraces his steps from his once-indefinite trip across Europe and tries to reckon with the actions of his mum and his grandfather, David Batty.
“What they used to say is, ‘It’s classified as kidnapping, but it isn’t kidnapping because she’s my mum.’ For me it’s not a story, for me it’s my life,” he says in the film.
In the wake of the documentary’s release (you can stream it on BBC iPlayer now), viewers want to know what’s happened to Melanie – and when she’ll release her “own story”.
What happened to Alex Batty?
While Batty was kidnapped by his mother, his grandmother, Susan Caruana, was his legal guardian.
Before his disappearance, Melanie took Alex with her on a trip to Morocco when he was eight years old, and she’d floated the idea of staying there with him.
Three years later, she took him on a trip to Spain with David. They’d told Alex’s grandmother that it was only a holiday, but they never returned.
Susan later received a video from Melanie, in which she said she’d never “give [her] boy up to Susan or the authorities”.
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In 2022, Melanie forced Alex to sleep in a tent for six months through the depths of winter after a disagreement over her beliefs.
They went completely off-grid, with Alex moving around Spain and France between communes and other isolated communities. During this time, Alex never attended school (although he tried in 2023, but French police were never alerted to his identity).
How was Alex Batty found?
After arguments with his mum and realising he’d like to go home, Alex secretly left the commune. After two days, he was found by a delivery driver in the early hours of the morning.
He wrote a note for Melanie before he left, saying goodbye and that he loved her. He purposely tried to avoid detection to protect his mum and grandfather, and later lied (and admitted to the lies) about where he’d been.
“I’ve been lying to try and protect my mum and grandad but I realise that they’re probably gonna get caught anyway,” he told The Sun.
He returned to the UK in December 2023 and moved back in with his grandmother.
Was Melanie Batty charged?
Shortly after his return, Greater Manchester Police announced that a criminal investigation had been launched into Batty’s abduction.
However, in 2025, the police called off the investigation. They said there was “no realistic chance of prosecution”, and the family didn’t want to press charges.
In a statement, Detective Superintendent Matt Walker 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 lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded there would be no realistic chance of criminal prosecution.
“Given this, the right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his family’s lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for. Alex is now an adult, safe, and reintegrated with life back in Greater Manchester surrounded by those who love him, which ultimately is the priority.
“The right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his family’s lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for.”
So, neither Melanie nor David Batty have been charged.
Where is Melanie Batty now?
Melanie Batty’s exact whereabouts are unknown.
Her last known location was in the French Pyrenees in 2023. It’s unclear if she’s still there or if she’s moved elsewhere since Batty’s discovery and return home.
Given her nomadic lifestyle, it’s reasonably likely she’s living somewhere else in Europe, but this is pure speculation.
At the end of the documentary, it reveals Melanie was asked to respond to the film’s allegations.
“She declined to provide any response,” it says.
“She says she plans to release her own story, with her version of events.”
It’s also unclear exactly what format “her own story” would take, and when (or how) it would ever be released.
Kidnapped By My Mum viewers divided by Alex Batty’s mum
Melanie was an ardent conspiracy theorist. Specifically, she subscribed to the sovereign citizen movement, which is effectively a rejection of all government and imposed authority. In the US, the FBI has branded it a form of domestic terrorism.
There is some sympathy for Melanie and how she was “sucked into” the conspiracy theory online.
“This is such sad but good storytelling. The real-life repercussions of someone getting sucked into Sovereign Citizen BS,” one user posted on Facebook.
“She chose to take her boy that she has a lot of love for. At least he grew up knowing his mum loved him and didn’t dump him. Plus he did come back when he was of age to make his own choices,” another argued. “She wasn’t a bad mum. She needed to do what she did as a form of protection for her son,” a third commented.
However, others aren’t convinced, with many wishing for justice (even if Alex hasn’t pursued charges).
“She’s traumatised that lad,” one viewer wrote. “She was brainwashing the child. Keeping him out of school, making him work. No friends,” another pointed out.
“They both should have been charged regardless of what he wanted because it’s in the public interest to prosecute cases like this as a deterrent,” a third argued.
“She’s lucky he still cares about her and tried to protect her. The poor boy,” a fourth wrote.
Alex now has a child of his own, a baby girl, and is looking for work.
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