Lisbon, May 22, 2026 (Lusa) – The suspects who allegedly abandoned two French children found alone in Alcácer do Sal will appear before a criminal investigation judge in Setúbal, likely on Friday afternoon, a GNR (National Republican Guard) spokesperson said on Thursday.
The GNR arrested the 55-year-old man and 41-year-old woman in Fátima, and the authorities suspect the pair of domestic violence and child abandonment.
The suspects will face a judge at the Setúbal Court for crimes allegedly committed in Portugal, GNR spokesman Carlos Canatário said on RTP Notícias.
Lusa attempted to gather further details from the GNR, but no additional information was immediately available.
Speaking on Thursday night on RTP Notícias, he said that the woman faces two legal proceedings in France. One concerns parental responsibility between the father and mother, while the other involves child abduction regarding a 16-year-old son, whom the mother allegedly abandoned in France before travelling to Portugal.
He said that because European arrest warrants exist, the suspects "will also have to appear before the Court of Appeal, independently of what is dealt with in this first court, as that is the established circuit" for such cases.
When questioned about the suspects' cooperation since their arrest, he said during the 9:00 p.m. interview that they had not shown "great cooperation" with the GNR. He added that they offered no reaction and were not hostile during the arrest.
Authorities found two French brothers, aged 4 and 5, wandering alone around 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday near National Road 253 EN253. The children were in the Monte Novo do Sul area, between Comporta and Alcácer do Sal, in the Setúbal district.
Portugal's Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, said on Thursday that French authorities have requested the return of the two abandoned children.
She expressed satisfaction that Portuguese authorities "quickly managed to find or resolve this problem" after the GNR located the children's mother and stepfather in Fátima.
DMC/RYOL // ADB.
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