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Father of abandoned French children found in Portugal breaks silence

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 437 words · By Joana Mourão Carvalho
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What to know about Father of abandoned French children found in Portugal breaks silence

The father of the two children abandoned in Portugal says he is awaiting official permission to see them adding that he has thought about them "every second" since learning of their disappearance.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The father of the two children abandoned in Portugal says he is awaiting official permission to see them adding that he has thought about them "every second" since learning of their disappearance.

Why it matters

The father of the two French children who were abandoned in Portugal by their 41-year-old mother and her 55-year-old partner has broken his silence and revealed that he is awaiting authorisation from authorities to be reunited with his children.

Common ground

Speaking to the French channel Ici Alsace TV, the man, who did not wish to be identified, explained that he keeps his phone by his side day and night, waiting for the authorities to get in touch.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/25/father-of-abandoned-french-childre…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “The father of the two French children who were abandoned in Portugal by their 41-year-old mother and her 55-year-old partner”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Daily Mail, The Mirror, Euronews) confirm that a 41-year-old mother (Marine Rousseau) and her 55-year-old partner (Marc Ballabriga) abandoned two French children in Portugal.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religio…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of TWO is being one more than one in number. How to use two in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · From Middle English two, twa, from Old English twā, feminine and neuter of twēġen (whence twain), from Proto-West Germanic *twai-, from Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh…
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/two
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Claim 2: “The four- and five-year-old children were abandoned in southern Portugal on 19 May.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the children were found on May 19 in southern Portugal (Alcacer do Sal/Comporta area). While there is a slight discrepancy in age (some say 4 and 5, others 3 and 5), the core event and date are corroborated.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Updated: 9:19am, 22 May 2026. Portuguese police on Thursday arrested the mother of two young French boys found abandoned by a main road in the south of the country, alone and crying.
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354428/mothe…
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web search NEUTRAL — Two brothers, aged five and four, were discovered crying on a rural road between the Portuguese towns of Alcacer do Sal and Comporta on May 19, carrying backpacks with food and water but no identity d…
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15846321/Mother-aband…
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web search NEUTRAL — The two brothers, aged four and five, were found wandering along a rural road between Alcácer do Sal and Comporta on Tuesday evening (19 May), hundreds of miles away from their home in Colmar, eastern…
https://www.tyla.com/food-and-drink/abandoned-children-food-…
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Claim 3: “Her partner, also a defendant, Marc Ballabriga, has been transferred to Lisbon.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify the partner as Marc Ballabriga and confirm his arrest and status as a defendant in the case.
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web search NEUTRAL — Marine Rousseau, 41, and former police officer Marc Ballabriga, 55, are accused of leaving Barthelemy and Zacharie, aged five and three, blindfolded during what has been described as a twisted 'treasu…
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15842825/Sexologist-m…
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web search NEUTRAL — The children were found to be in apparent "good health" and have been discharged from hospital.While information about Rousseau is scarce, details of her current partner, identified as Marc Ballabriga…
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/22/portugal-and-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — Marine Rousseau, 41, and her partner Marc Ballabriga, 55, have been accused of abandoning their two young children, aged three and five in a forest in Portugal. Police said they tracked down the paren…
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/sexologist-mum-aban…
info
Claim 4: “The accused, Marine Rousseau, will serve her pre-trial detention at Tires Prison, in the parish of São Domingos de Rana, in the municipality of Cascais, Lisbon district.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions Marine Rousseau was sent to the 'country's toughest women's prison' for pretrial detention, but the specific name 'Tires Prison' and the detailed address in Cascais are not corroborated by the other provided search results.
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web search NEUTRAL — Pre-trial detention, also known as jail, preventive detention, provisional detention, or remand, is the process of detaining a person until their trial after they have been arrested and charged with a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-trial_detention
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web search NEUTRAL — In 2020, the average number of pre-detention prisoners was 738, a 4.4% increase on 2019. Figures show that 884 prisoners were being held on remand or at trial on 4 April 2022. On 1st April 2021 the nu…
https://www.donegallive.ie/national/dramatic-increase-in-num…
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web search NEUTRAL — Such “unjustified, excessive and prolonged pre-trial detention” violates international and domestic law, and amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, Amnesty said. Pre-trial detainees were s…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/23/madagascar-pre-tri…
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Claim 5: “The children were found 19 May by a passer-by, wandering near the 253 National Road in the district of Setúbal.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the children were found on May 19 by the side of a road in the Alcácer do Sal area, which is within the Setúbal district.
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web search NEUTRAL — Setúbal bay area. The city of Setúbal is located on the northern bank of the Sado River estuary, approximately 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Portugal's capital, Lisbon. It is also the seat of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setúbal
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web search NEUTRAL — Two French Children, Ages 3 and 5, Abandoned in Setúbal; Parents Detained in Fátima. Warm bakery interior with bread and pastries, representing the safe haven where abandoned children were found and c…
https://theportugalpost.com/posts/two-french-children-ages-3…
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web search NEUTRAL — The children were found to be in apparent "good health" and have been discharged from hospital."Minors are in good health". The two children were found alone earlier this week by the side of a main ro…
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/22/portugal-and-f…
verified
Claim 6: “French authorities have made a request for the return of the two children.”
VERIFIED
Euronews explicitly states that the Setúbal District Court noted the children can only be returned following a formal request from French authorities, implying the legal process for return is active.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — French is a Romance language (meaning that it is descended primarily from Vulgar Latin) that evolved out of the Gallo-Romance dialects spoken in northern France. The language's early forms include Old…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Our free, fun, and effective course helps you learn French with quick, science-based lessons personalized to you.
https://www.duolingo.com/course/fr/en/Learn-French
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 8, 2022 · French for beginners guide with native audio lessons. Master pronunciation, verbs, and vocabulary with Teacher David Issokson and Marie Assel Cambier.
https://www.frenchlearner.com/learning-french/french-for-beg…
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Claim 7: “the children's mother and her partner are being held in pre-trial detention in Portugal, on suspicion of having abandoned the two boys.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Marine Rousseau and her partner were arrested and remanded in custody/pre-trial detention in Portugal for the abandonment of the children.
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web search NEUTRAL — Marine Rousseau, accused of abandoning her two children in the Portuguese woods, been sent to the country's toughest women's prison for pretrial detention.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15846321/Mother-aband…
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web search NEUTRAL — A French woman suspected of abandoning her two children in Portugal leaves court after being remanded in custody.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260523-french-mother…
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web search NEUTRAL — French couple accused of abandoning children in Setúbal faces detention. Learn how Portugal enforces EU custody orders and protects expat families.
https://theportugalpost.com/posts/two-french-boys-abandoned-…
info
Claim 8: “António José Fialho, President of the Setúbal judicial district, said in a press release that 'the children were living with their mother in France and that the parents are separated, with the father having limited, supervised visiting rights.'”
SINGLE SOURCE
While Euronews mentions the Setúbal District Court's stance on returning the children to France, the specific quote attributed to António José Fialho regarding the father's supervised visiting rights is not present in the provided evidence.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Setúbal District Court has made it clear that the children can only be returned to France following a formal request from the French authorities.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/22/portugal-and-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — Смотрите онлайн «France_1981_-_Jane_Baker» от автора CLAIRE CASTEL AND DORCEL PROD FANS CLUB. Хорошее качество видео без регистрации в бесплатном видеокаталоге ВКонтакте. Опубликовано 30 мая 2024.
https://vk.com/video-182924032_456239096
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web search NEUTRAL — Heartwarming Performance and one of the best performances that will change your mood the soothing vibe ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_GcZgFCNJE
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Claim 9: “The mother and her partner were arrested two days later while sitting on the terrace of a café on the outskirts of the city of Fátima, in the municipality of Ourém.”
CORROBORATED
The Mirror reports that police tracked down the parents at a cafe around 48 hours after the children were found (which aligns with May 21), and another source explicitly mentions parents were detained in Fátima.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.