A court in the Portuguese port city of Setúbal has ordered the pretrial detention of a French couple suspected of abandoning their two young children in a wooded area earlier this week. The decision, announced after a two-day hearing, cites the risk of flight as a key factor.
Marine Rousseau, 41, and Marc Ballagriga, 55, are charged with aggravated assault, endangerment, and abandonment of the boys, aged four and five. The children were discovered on Tuesday by a local man on the side of a road in Alcácer do Sal, a municipality in the Setúbal district. The man handed them over to the police. The children carried a rucksack containing food and water but no identification documents.
Children Placed in Foster Care
Following the discovery, the Public Prosecutor's Office issued a statement on 21 May confirming that the children had been taken into foster care. They were handed over to a foster family in Lisbon, with the intervention and monitoring of the fostering organisation. Medical evaluations concluded that the children were in good health, and they were discharged from hospital before being placed with a French foster family pending their return to France.
The couple was arrested on Thursday in Fátima, approximately 170 kilometres from the location where the children were abandoned. They were brought before a judge on Friday. During the court proceedings, a spokesman for Portugal's GNR police force, Carlos Canatario, told Portuguese television station SIC that the couple exhibited a “very distant attitude” and appeared “detached” during questioning.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of child welfare and cross-border legal cooperation within the European Union. The children, French nationals, are now under the care of a French foster family in Lisbon, with arrangements being made for their return to France. The couple remains in custody as the investigation continues.
This incident follows a previous report of the mother's arrest in Portugal after the children were found abandoned. The case highlights the challenges of ensuring child safety across EU member states, where legal systems and social services must coordinate effectively.
The couple's next court appearance is expected to address the formal charges and determine whether they will be extradited to France for further proceedings. The children's welfare remains the primary concern for Portuguese and French authorities alike.
