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A French mother, Marine Rousseau, 41, and her boyfriend, Marc Ballabriga, 55, were arrested after allegedly abandoning Rousseau's two young sons in a remote forest. The couple was apprehended while dining at a café, appearing calm and composed during their arrest, according to café owner Jorge Lopes.
The incident occurred two days earlier when Rousseau and Ballabriga allegedly left the children, aged 3 and 5, blindfolded in the forest as part of a supposed "game." The boys were later found crying and alone, 125 miles away, by local baker Artur Quintas. They were carrying backpacks containing only clothes, water, and snacks. Quintas reported that the older boy said their mother and her boyfriend blindfolded them before vanishing.
After being rescued, the children received initial care from a local resident and were later transferred to a hospital. They were discharged in good health and have since been placed in temporary foster care. Portuguese authorities have charged the couple with child endangerment and abandonment, with Ballabriga facing an additional charge of aggravated assault.
The boys' biological father, who reported them missing on May 11, is working to bring them back to France. He expressed his relief upon learning of their safety and emphasized the need for his children to rebuild their lives without constant reminders of the incident. The couple remains in custody, awaiting trial.