A French mother and her former law enforcement boyfriend were arrested in Portugal after allegedly abandoning her two young sons blindfolded in a remote forest. Marine Rousseau, 41, and Marc Ballabriga, 55, were taken into custody while eating at a café near Lisbon, two days after the incident. The boys, aged 3 and 5, were found crying and alone 125 miles away, rescued by a local baker who heard them screaming. They were in good health and discharged from the hospital the same day as the arrests.
The couple faces charges of child endangerment and abandonment. Ballabriga, a former French policeman who quit the force in 2010, also faces an aggravated assault charge. They were ordered held pending trial.
Rescue and Aftermath
The boys were found on May 19 by Artur Quintas, a local baker, who spotted them stumbling along a main road. They were carrying backpacks with clothes, water, and snacks. The older brother reportedly told Quintas that their mother and her boyfriend had taken them into the forest and covered their eyes. Portuguese authorities stated the children were taken to a local resident's home for initial care before being transferred to a hospital.
Café Owner's Account
Café owner Jorge Lopes described the couple as calm during their arrest. 'They stayed sitting and didn’t seem nervous,' Lopes said. 'They were searched and handcuffed without any stress at all. It was as if they didn’t have blood running through their veins.'