French Mother Travels 2,000 Kilometres to Abandon Young Sons on Portuguese Roadside

2026-05-23 region

Lisbon, 23 May 2026
A French sexologist drove over 2,000 kilometres from Colmar to Portugal with her partner to abandon her two young sons, aged three and five, beside a remote road near Alcácer do Sal. The children were found crying and calling for their father after being blindfolded and told they were playing a game to find hidden toys. Both suspects now face child endangerment charges in Portuguese custody, whilst European arrest warrants remain active from France where the father had reported them missing twelve days earlier.

Discovery and Initial Response

The abandonment unfolded on 19 May 2026, when the children were discovered at approximately 19:00 local time near a bus stop on Estrada Nacional 256, which connects Alcácer do Sal to Comporta [2]. Alexandre, a local baker, found the boys crying beside the roadside [2]. According to witnesses who discovered them, the children were described as scared and distressed, carrying only a backpack containing clothes, water, and fruit [2][5]. One of the boys told the motorist’s mother that they had been blindfolded and instructed to search for a hidden toy, but when they removed their blindfolds, their mother had vanished [1].

The Investigation Escalates

Portuguese authorities immediately activated child protection protocols, with the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) taking the children to the Posto de Alcácer do Sal before transferring them to Setúbal hospital by order of the Ministério Público [5]. The case quickly escalated when the Polícia Judiciária assumed control of the investigation on 20 May 2026, treating it as a suspected international abduction [5]. This decision came after authorities established connections to a missing persons case in France, where Marine Rousseau’s ex-husband had reported the disappearance of the children on 11 May 2026 [2]. The mother had been the subject of European arrest warrants after fleeing France with the children [1][2].

Arrest and Court Proceedings

Marine Rousseau, aged 41, and her partner Marc B, aged 55, were apprehended in Fátima less than 48 hours after the children were discovered [2]. The arrest took place on Thursday, 21 May 2026, following an intensive search operation [1]. When brought before the court on Saturday, 23 May 2026, both defendants exhibited erratic behaviour, with Marc shouting ‘I love you’ in French whilst Marine sang [1]. The presiding judge ordered both suspects to remain in pre-trial detention, rejecting any possibility of bail [1]. They face charges of child endangerment and abandonment, with Marc facing an additional charge of aggravated assault [1]. According to Portuguese media reports, the couple could be heard shouting at each other from their separate detention cells [1].

Background and Motivations

Marine Rousseau, a French national from Colmar in the Haut-Rhin region, presents herself as a sexologist specialising in ‘body-oriented practices, psychotrauma and developmental dynamics’ according to her LinkedIn profile [1][2]. She graduated in 2019 from the Université Paris-VII Bichat with a degree in sexual health and human rights, and previously operated a clinic offering psychotherapy, relaxation, and adult sessions [2]. The 41-year-old mother of three had left behind a 16-year-old son in France [2][5]. Her partner, Marc B, is a 55-year-old former French gendarmerie officer who departed the force in 2010 [1]. The couple travelled over 2000 kilometres from Colmar to Portugal in a French-registered Opel vehicle, with authorities noting they appeared to have no known connection to Portugal [1][2]. The children, Zacharie aged 3 and Barthelemy aged 5, had been living with their mother whilst their father maintained limited and supervised visitation rights [1]. The children are now in the care of a French foster family in Lisbon and are expected to return to France [1].

Bronnen

child abandonment Portugal custody