A French woman and her partner have been arrested in Portugal after two young children were found alone near the town of Alcácer do Sal in a case that has drawn attention in both Portugal and France, as reported by Euronews.
According to Portuguese authorities, 41-year-old Marine Rousseau and a 55-year-old Marc Ballabrigade were detained on suspicion of child abandonment and domestic violence after the children, aged four and five, were discovered on a public road by passing motorists.
Police said Rousseau was arrested in Fátima, about 170 kilometers from where the children were found. French prosecutors also opened a judicial investigation into alleged child neglect, following a previous search for the family, which was reported to have disappeared on May 11.
Even though it is not clear why Rousseau decided to abandon her children, her partner was identified by French media as a former police officer convicted in 2010 on charges related to harassment and domestic violence.
