Two French Boys Abandoned in Portugal to Be Returned to France
French authorities will place the boys in Alsace social services while judges assess relatives and the father’s supervised custody rights.
- Two French children abandoned last week in southern Portugal will soon return to France, according to the Setúbal District Court, which ordered their placement in Alsace social services pending assessment.
- Mother Marine Rousseau, 41, left her eldest son alone in France before departing to Spain to meet her new partner, then crossed into Portugal and abandoned Zacharie and Barthélemy blindfolded in a bush near Alcácer do Sal, telling them they were playing a 'game.'
- Baker Alexandre Quintas discovered the brothers and took them home to play with his children before alerting police; officers located a French citizen to translate the boys' testimonies, and their unidentified father wrote to Ici Alsace TV that he 'thinks about them every second' and expects reunion soon.
- The father currently has limited and supervised visiting rights over the children, prompting French authorities to assess his suitability for full custody; family judges impose such restrictions in cases involving violence, family conflict, or gradual contact resumption.
- Marine Rousseau and Marc Ballabriga remain in pre-trial detention on multiple charges; the father's earlier accusations of kidnapping and abandonment regarding her eldest son reveal a pattern of family instability affecting custody determinations.
19 Articles
19 Articles
1330 & 95.5 WFIN
WWBLMother, boyfriend allegedly abandoned blindfolded young sons in remote forest as part of ‘game’: reports
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A French mother who allegedly abandoned her two young children in a forest in Portugal while blindfolded was arrested with her former law enforcement boyfriend while eating at a café near Libson. Marine Rousseau, 41, was taken into custody Thursday with Marc Ballabriga, 55, two days after the couple allegedly dumped her helpless 3- and 5-year-old children in a remote forest and left, according to Portu…
A social worker should accompany the children to the country of habitual residence, where the future of B. and Z. is still uncertain. Courts may decide that the father is unable to receive them.
The two children found alone in Portugal will be repatriated to Colmar and placed temporarily in the care of the social services. The mother and her companion are kept in detention.
The two children abandoned at the edge of a road in Portugal will be entrusted to the social services of Colmar. Their mother and companion are in pre-trial detention.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium