Story perspectives

French Couple Arrested in Portugal After Abandoning Two Boys

5/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

Marine Rousseau sang and Marc Ballabriga shouted “I love you” in French during their first court appearance.
They were arrested, detained in Portugal, and charged with child endangerment, abandonment, aggravated assault and domestic violence after abandoning two French boys near Alcacer do Sal.
The four- and five-year-old boys were found crying with backpacks of food and water and are now healthy in a French foster family in Lisbon.

History

Historical Context

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, concluded 25 October 1980 and effective 1 December 1983, established a fast-track return system for children wrongfully removed between signatory states. By 2022 it covered 103 parties, including Portugal and France, requiring court cooperation on cross-border custody cases. The 2024 detention of Marine Rousseau and Marc Ballabriga in Lisbon underscores persistent enforcement gaps within the EU.

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Story summary

Marine Rousseau sang and Marc Ballabriga shouted “I love you” in French during their first court appearance.
They were arrested, detained in Portugal, and charged with child endangerment, abandonment, aggravated assault and domestic violence after abandoning two French boys near Alcacer do Sal.
The four- and five-year-old boys were found crying with backpacks of food and water and are now healthy in a French foster family in Lisbon.

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