French couple detained in Portugal over child abandonment

A French woman and her partner are in pre-trial detention in Portugal, accused of abandoning her two young sons, aged four and five, by the side of a road.

The couple, identified as Marine R., 41, and Marc B., 55, were arrested in Fátima after the children were discovered alone near Alcácer do Sal, about 100 kilometers south of Lisbon. The boys were found with backpacks containing food and water, but no identification, according to Portuguese media.

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After an incident like this, where two young children were abandoned, it was quite shocking to find this couple relaxed in an outdoor cafe for hours. Their behavior indicated a certain detachment from the situation, as they responded little. They seemed very introverted and did not react.

During their interrogation, the man was also charged with aggravated assault against one of the children. Authorities described the couple's behavior upon arrest as detached. "After an incident like this, where two young children were abandoned, it was quite shocking to find this couple relaxed in an outdoor cafe for hours," said Carlos Canatário, a spokesperson for the Portuguese GNR police, to SIC television. "Their behavior indicated a certain detachment from the situation, as they responded little. They seemed very introverted and did not react."

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I love you

As they arrived at the courthouse, Marc B. shouted "I love you" twice in French, while Marine R. hummed a tune. Before being driven away in a police car, Marc B. yelled "Portugal Armageddon" at gathered journalists.

The children have been placed with a French foster family in Lisbon while awaiting their return to France.

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Portugal Armageddon