Alex Batty: Teen missing for six years found in France, authorities say
BBC NewsAUG 2023
Alex was abducted by his own mother and grandfather and forced to live in an off-grid, nomadic community that had no school. While it's a relief that he has been able to find his way back home to get a normal life, authorities now must ramp up efforts to prevent the potential rise of sectarian movements within such communities.
It's outrageous, though not surprising that France is openly weaponizing this parental child abduction case against non-mainstream religious movements in a blatant attack on freedom of religion. As undemocratic and authoritarian as it seems, the French government wants to punish communities that don't organize themselves according to mainstream society.