French couple left two young children in the forest — and drove away. And this is not a fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel
In Portugal, law enforcement agencies are investigating a case of abandoning two young children in danger. The brothers, aged three and five, who turned out to be French citizens, were found in a wooded area after their mother and stepfather left them there under the guise of a game.
Boys found in the forest. Photo: National Republican Guard of Portugal / dailymail.com
The incident occurred in the south of Portugal (Alentejo region), in the area between the towns of Alcácer do Sal and Comporta. This is a picturesque but sparsely populated wooded area near the Atlantic coast, located approximately 100 kilometers south of the country's capital, Lisbon.
It was there, as reported by Daily Mail, on Tuesday evening, May 19, that a local couple noticed two boys on the road who were alone, crying, and frightened. The children only had backpacks with a minimal supply of water, fruit, and a change of clothes.
Witnesses immediately called the police, after which the children were taken to a hospital in Setúbal. A medical examination showed that the boys were physically healthy, although they had bruises and scratches on their bodies. The examination also confirmed the absence of any drugs in their system.
During their conversation with the authorities, the children revealed details of the incident. According to them, their mother and stepfather blindfolded them and drove them into the forest, explaining it as a game whose purpose was to "drive away the devil." The parents told their sons that they could only remove the blindfolds after finding a knife buried in the ground.
When the older brother finally removed his blindfold a few minutes later, the adults were no longer nearby. The children wandered through the forest for several hours in temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius until they reached the road.
Items the children had with them. Photo: National Republican Guard of Portugal / dailymail.com
The investigation revealed that the family had come to Portugal from Colmar, France. Two weeks prior, the children's relatives — their grandmother and biological father — had reported the boys' abduction by their mother to the French police.
It is known that the family crossed the Spanish-Portuguese border on May 11. Before abandoning the children, the couple stayed in a local hotel. It is also reported that the boys' stepfather had previously come to the attention of French police in connection with a mental disorder.
Currently, the boys are under supervision and are being prepared for transfer to the French embassy. In France, a criminal case has been opened against the parents for parental neglect, and in Portugal, an urgent judicial procedure has been initiated in the juvenile court. On Thursday, May 21, Portuguese police reported the arrest of the mother and stepfather.
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