Parents Arrested After Allegedly Abandoning Children in Woods for 'Game'
Parents who 'abandoned kids in woods in sick game' found sipping drinks at cafe

Image: Mirror
Marine Rousseau and Marc Ballabriga were arrested in Portugal after allegedly abandoning their two young children in the woods, claiming they were playing a game. The children, aged five and three, were found distressed with minimal supplies, while the couple was later spotted relaxing at a café 112 miles away.
- 01The children were discovered near Alcacer do Sal, Portugal, with only a water bottle and fruit.
- 02Rousseau and Ballabriga were arrested on suspicion of child abuse, endangerment, and abandonment.
- 03The children's father had reported them missing from their home in France 10 days prior to the incident.
- 04Local baker Alexandre Quintas found the boys and took them to his bakery, providing food and toys.
- 05The couple reportedly spent hours at the café before their arrest and were described as 'reserved' by police.
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Marine Rousseau (41) and Marc Ballabriga (55) were arrested in Portugal after allegedly abandoning their two young sons, five-year-old Barthélémy and three-year-old Zacharie, in the woods under the guise of a game. The children were found distressed and alone near Alcacer do Sal, clutching only a water bottle and fruit. Following a manhunt, the couple was located at a café in Fátima, approximately 112 miles from where the children were discovered. They had reportedly spent hours relaxing at the café before police apprehended them. Rousseau had told her sons they were playing a game to find a 'hidden toy', which involved blindfolding them and leaving them to dig in the ground. When they removed their blindfolds, their parents had vanished. The children's father, who had reported them missing from their home in France ten days earlier, is en route to Portugal to reclaim them after they were placed in temporary care. Local baker Alexandre Quintas, who found the boys, provided them with food and toys while waiting for help.
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The incident raises concerns about child safety and parental responsibilities, prompting discussions on child welfare in Portugal.
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