[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
This story is beyond disturbing.
Authorities in Portugal have arrested a French mother and her husband after two tiny boys were allegedly abandoned in a forest during what the adults reportedly described as some twisted “game” to “drive away the devil.” Yes, seriously.
According to shocking new reports from The Sun and other media outlets on Thursday, the children — who were just five and three years old — were allegedly blindfolded and left alone in the wilderness while being told they were part of a treasure hunt. We truly cannot wrap our heads around how any parent could think this was acceptable.
Related: Son Of Billionaire Fashion Mogul ARRESTED In Connection To Father’s Shocking Death!
The boys, identified as Barthelemy and Zacharie, were reportedly found wandering near a remote road in southern Portugal on May 19 after hours alone in the heat. Temperatures in the region can reportedly climb to around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at this time of year, and the children were said to be terrified, crying, and calling out when a local man finally discovered them, per media outlets.
That man, identified as Artur Quintas, quickly realized something was horribly wrong:
“The oldest told me that he and his brother had got lost in the forest and that their father and mother had left without taking them.”
Heartbreaking.
And it gets even worse. According to reports, the children had allegedly been blindfolded by their own mother, 41-year-old Marine, and stepfather Marc, who supposedly instructed them to search for a buried knife they could use to remove the coverings from their eyes.
The whole thing was reportedly framed as a game involving finding a hidden toy. Except when the children finally removed the blindfolds, the adults were gone.
Gone!!!
The boys reportedly kept walking through the area believing they were still participating in the game. Imagine being that young and slowly realizing your parents may have abandoned you in the middle of nowhere. It is absolutely chilling.
Artur also explained why he immediately suspected the abandonment was intentional:
“I realised straight away that they had been abandoned because of the backpacks, the way they had been made up. They had a change of clothes, a packet of biscuits, two pieces of fruit and a bottle of water.”
The children reportedly had no identification on them when police arrived. Thankfully, authorities quickly stepped in and got the boys medical attention before social workers became involved.
Portuguese authorities confirmed the arrests in an official statement released Thursday:
“The Republican National Guard located and detained today, May 21, in Fatima, a 55-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman suspected of committing the crimes of domestic violence and exposure and abandonment. Following the initial alert received regarding the presence of two children alone near a public road, GNR officers immediately went to the scene, where they located the minors, ensuring their protection and safety.”
Officials also described how the boys were cared for after being found:
“Given the situation of evident vulnerability, the children were taken to the home of a local resident, where they remained and received initial care in the presence of the officers until they were transferred to a hospital unit. As part of the investigative efforts carried out immediately, in a coordinated manner and based on information sharing among the various branches of the GNR’s entire police structure.”
Authorities said they later tracked down the suspects in Fatima:
“There was particular emphasis on the Criminal Investigation unit, officers from the Fatima Territorial Post located and detained the suspects in that city, as a result of the investigative work and police pro-activity. The investigation is being conducted by the Specific Victims Investigation and Support Unit (NIAVE) of Santiago do Cacem. A report outlining the facts has been sent to the Judicial Court of Grandola.”
Thank goodness these little boys were found before something even more tragic happened. This could have ended in absolute disaster.
Related: Britney Spears’ DUI Dash Cam Footage Released — With WILD Invitation To Police Officers!
We honestly cannot imagine the fear and confusion those children must have experienced wandering through the woods alone believing their parents would come back. What a horrifying story.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
[Image created for PerezHilton.com.]
