A French mother, Marine Rousseau, and her former partner, Marc Ballabriga, were arrested in Portugal after two young boys, ages 3 and 5, were found blindfolded and abandoned in a remote forest. The children were discovered crying about 125 miles from where they had been left and were carrying only small backpacks with clothes, water and snacks. Rescuers provided immediate care and the boys were discharged from hospital in good health; they are now in temporary foster care. Rousseau and Ballabriga face child endangerment and abandonment charges, and Ballabriga faces an additional aggravated assault count.
French Mother and Ex-Police Officer Arrested in Portugal After Two Young Sons Found Blindfolded and Abandoned in Remote Forest
Marine-Rousseau and her boyfriend, Marc Ballabriga, were arrested after allegedly leaving her two young sons blindfolded in the woods alone in Portugal.(Getty Images)
Portuguese authorities arrested a French woman and her former law enforcement partner after two young boys, ages 3 and 5, were found blindfolded and abandoned in a remote woodland area. The suspects, identified as 41-year-old Marine Rousseau and 55-year-old Marc Ballabriga, were detained while eating at a café near Lisbon, media reports said.
What Happened
Officials say the boys were discovered crying and alone roughly 125 miles from the location where they had reportedly been left. According to local reports, the children were carrying small backpacks containing only clothes, water and snacks.
Discovery and Rescue
The boys were found on May 19 by a local baker, Artur Quintas, who told reporters he saw them "screaming and crying" as they stumbled along a main road. Quintas alerted authorities, who provided immediate assistance.
Marine-Rousseau allegedly left her two young sons alone in a Portuguese forest while blindfolded in Portugal, authorities said.
Official Response and Care
Portuguese authorities said the children were first cared for at the home of a nearby resident under the supervision of officers and were later taken to a hospital unit. "Given the situation of evident vulnerability, the children were taken to the home of a local resident, where they remained and received initial care in the presence of the officers until they were transferred to a hospital unit," officials said. The boys were reported to be in good health and were discharged from the hospital on Thursday.
Arrest and Charges
Rousseau and Ballabriga face charges of child endangerment and abandonment. Ballabriga, described in reports as a former French policeman who left the force in 2010, also faces an additional charge of aggravated assault. Both were ordered held pending trial.
Accounts From the Scene
"They stayed sitting and didn’t seem nervous. They were searched and handcuffed without any stress at all. When I saw them so at ease in front of the authorities, I was astonished. It was as if they didn’t have blood running through their veins."
— Jorge Lopes, café owner
Marine Rousseau is charged with child endangerment.
According to Quintas, the older child told him their mother and her partner had taken them into the forest, covered their eyes as part of what was described as a "game," and then disappeared when the blindfolds were removed.
Family Status
The children have been placed in temporary foster care. Their biological father, who filed a missing persons report on May 11, is working to have them returned to France. He told French broadcaster Ici Alsace TV:
"It’s only a matter of days before I get my children back. I think about them every second since the Colmar police station contacted me to tell me they were missing. My children will have to rebuild their lives, just as I rebuilt mine. And they don’t need to be constantly reminded of this tragedy."
Investigations by Portuguese and French authorities are ongoing.
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