A woman, aged 41, accused of abandoning her two young sons, is currently being held in a secure women’s prison known for inmate-initiated fires. Marine Rousseau and her partner Marc Ballabriga, aged 55, are facing charges of endangerment and abandonment following the discovery of a five-year-old boy and his three-year-old brother wandering along a rural road in Monte Novo do Sul, a secluded region between Comporta and Alcácer do Sal in Portugal.
Reportedly, the boys were found blindfolded in a wooded area near an abandoned bus stop, carrying only a few pieces of fruit and a water bottle. They were rescued by a local baker who promptly alerted the authorities. The children are now under the care of a foster family until they can be returned to France.
The couple was apprehended by the Portuguese National Guard (GNR) while peacefully seated at a café terrace close to the pilgrimage site of Fátima, approximately 120 miles away from where the children were found. Rousseau, singing to herself, was taken to court on Saturday and subsequently remanded to the Tires women’s prison, situated about 12 miles west of Lisbon.
Known for its high security, Tires prison accommodates numerous inmates, both awaiting trial and convicted of serious offenses, handling many of Portugal’s severe criminal cases. The facility has a record of safety concerns, posing risks to both prisoners and staff.
In a previous incident, an inmate deliberately started a fire in her cell, leading to five female officers being hospitalized due to smoke inhalation. This inmate had recently been moved to Tires after being involved in assaults at another prison. Additionally, there were reports of two suspected drug overdoses, one fatal, and multiple attacks on guards by inmates in 2024. Past occurrences include a Covid outbreak in 2020 infecting over 120 inmates and prisoner deaths in 2018 and 2021.
Rousseau will remain at Tires until her next court appearance. Apart from her legal troubles, the 41-year-old, who separated from the boys’ father years ago, presents herself online as a sexologist offering assistance to individuals dealing with trauma to restore peace and sexual contentment. Ballabriga, a former police officer with a history of harassment and domestic violence, is incarcerated at Setúbal Prison.