Police have provided new details regarding a mother and stepfather who allegedly deceived their two young children by framing their actions as a ‘game’ before driving off.
The children, Barthélémy, aged five, and Zacharie, aged three, were found wandering along a rural road in Alcácer do Sal and Comporta, Portugal, on Tuesday evening. They were discovered by a local couple, Eugénia and Artur Quintas, who noticed the children carrying minimal belongings and appearing distressed. The boys were described as being covered in dirt and bruises, with one sustaining a knee injury. The couple took the siblings to their home and alerted the authorities, leading to their transfer to Setúbal Hospital for assessment.
Following a toxicology examination, it was confirmed that the children had not been exposed to any drugs. They have since been placed under temporary care in Portugal.
The youngsters recounted that their mother, Marine, aged 41, and stepfather, Marc, aged 51, instructed them to participate in a peculiar game where they had to find a buried knife by first removing blindfolds. Upon uncovering their eyes, they realized their parents had disappeared, yet the children continued to believe they were engaging in a game called ‘drive away the devil’ and wandered through the woods for hours.
Subsequently, a 41-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man were apprehended in Fátima on charges of child abuse, endangerment, and abandonment, as confirmed by the Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR). Investigations, in collaboration with French authorities, unveiled that Marine had left France with the children approximately two weeks prior, heading towards Portugal.
Concerns were raised by the children’s grandmother, alleging that they were taken by their mother. Additionally, a child abduction report was lodged by the father, who is separated from Marine. The trio entered Portugal on 11 May, crossing the Spanish border at Bragança in their family vehicle. They journeyed over 310 miles, making their way to Alcácer do Sal, where the children were deserted.
