Portuguese police have released new information about a mother and stepfather who allegedly abandoned their two young children in a woodland, telling them they were playing a game. The boys, Barthélémy, five, and Zacharie, three, were found wandering a rural road near Alcácer do Sal on Tuesday evening.
A local couple, Eugénia and Artur Quintas, discovered the children carrying only a change of clothes, two pieces of fruit, and two bottles of water. Artur said the boys were “crying” and “terrified”, calling for their father. They were covered in dirt and bruises, with one having an injured knee.
The children told officials they came from France and that their mother, Marine, 41, and stepfather Marc, 51, had told them to remove blindfolds after locating a buried knife. When they looked around, their parents had vanished. The boys believed they were taking part in a game called 'drive away the devil' and wandered for hours.
In a key new detail, a joint investigation with French police revealed that Marine left France with the children about two weeks ago, suspected of travelling to Portugal. The boys' grandmother reported them missing, claiming they were abducted by their mother. The father, separated from Marine, also filed a child abduction report.
The trio entered Portugal on 11 May via Bragança, travelling over 310 miles to Alcácer do Sal. The parents were arrested in Fátima on Thursday on suspicion of child abuse, endangerment, and abandonment. The boys have been placed in temporary care in Portugal.
