Mother, boyfriend allegedly abandoned blindfolded young sons in remote forest as part of ‘game’: reports

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A French mother who allegedlyabandoned her two young childrenin a forest in Portugal while blindfolded was arrested with her former law enforcement boyfriend while eating at a café near Libson.

Marine Rousseau, 41, was taken into custody Thursday with Marc Ballabriga, 55, two days after the couple allegedly dumped herhelpless 3- and 5-year-old childrenin a remote forest and left, according to Portuguese and French media.

“They stayed sitting and didn’t seem nervous,” café owner Jorge Lopes told the news outlet.“They were searched and handcuffed without any stress at all.When I saw them so at ease in front of the authorities, I was astonished.It was as if they didn’t have blood running through their veins.”

The boys were found crying and alone 125 miles away,MetroUKreported.

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Marine-Rousseau and her boyfriend, Marc Ballabriga being arrested

Marine-Rousseau and her boyfriend, Marc Ballabriga, were arrested after allegedly leaving her two young sons blindfolded in the woods alone in Portugal.(Getty Images)

“Given the situation of evident vulnerability, the children were taken to the home of a local resident, where they remained and received initial care in the presence of the officers until they were transferred to a hospital unit,” Portuguese authorities said in a statement.

The two boys were in goodhealthand were discharged from hospital on Thursday,” Portugal’s Public Ministry said.

The couple facechild endangerment and abandonment charges.Ballabriga — a former French policeman who quit the force in 2010 — faces an additional aggravated assault charge.

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Marine-Rousseau allegedly left her two young sons alone in a Portuguese forest while blindfolded in Portugal, authorities said.(Getty Images)

They were ordered held pending trial.

Rousseau’s sons were rescued by Artur Quintas, a local baker who spotted them “screaming and crying” while frantically stumbling along a main road on May 19, theNew York Postreported.

They were carrying backpacks stuffed only with clothes, water and snacks.

Quintas recalled the older brother telling him that their mother and her boyfriend allegedly took them into the forest and covered their eyes as part of a “game.” When they removed their blindfolds, both adults had vanished.

Marine Rousseau is charged with child endangerment.(Getty Images)

The pair have since been placed in temporary foster care.

Their biological father — who reported them missing on May 11 — is working to bring them back toFrance.

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“It’s only a matter of days before I get my children back,” he told French broadcaster Ici Alsace TV on Monday.“I think about them every second since the Colmar police station contacted me to tell me they were missing.My children will have to rebuild their lives, just as I rebuilt mine.

“And they don’t need to be constantly reminded of this tragedy.”