Growing up, I had a deep obsession with fairy tales that honestly bled into adulthood. I’ve always been fascinated by these slightly twisted stories that use fantastical elements and giant metaphors to teach children life lessons. I love how these stories evolve, with slight details and elements changing to make them relevant. I also love when they are creatively reimagined. If I’m being honest, though, a lot of them are darker than Disney portrays them.
Even though there are tons of stories to be weirded out by, the one that always got me the worst was the tale of Hansel and Gretel. It truthfully wasn’t the witch that freaked me out; it was the betrayal of the father and stepmother that always disturbed me.
How could any parents, no matter the reason, leave their young, defenseless kids in the woods to fend for themselves? To me, it was more believable that a witch tried to bake children in an oven than a parent actually leaving their child in the woods. Apparently, however, I was wrong.
In May 2026, a French mother and her husband decided to leave their boys, both younger than 5, in the woods for a ‘twisted’ treasure hunt.
According to the New York Post, the boys were driven to the woods, blindfolded, and abandoned with backpacks stuffed with snacks and a change of clothing. Local baker Artur Quintas, who found the boys, said they were “screaming and crying” at the time of discovery. He told Portuguese outlet Diario de Noticias that the mother told them they were playing a game and the goal was to find a toy out in the woods.
They were discovered by the baker and his wife after wandering the woods for hours and rushed to a local police station.
The boys were reportedly able to identify their mother from a photo.
The Sun identified the couple as Marine Rousseau, 41, and Marc Ballabriga, 55, and reported that they were tracked down 100 miles away from the dump site in a cafe in Lisbon. During their arrest, Rousseau was allegedly singing out loud, like an opera singer, while Ballabriga shouted “I love you” in French, though authorities aren’t sure to whom he was speaking. The pair is also suspected of abandoning another of Rousseau’s sons, a 16-year-old boy, in France.
The cafe owner, identified as Jorge Lopes, noted that the pair seemed utterly at ease while being arrested and appeared to be unfazed even as the authorities walked in.
“When I saw them so at ease in front of the authorities, I was astonished,” he said, per The Sun. “It was as if they didn’t have blood running through their veins.”
Since their parents’ arrest, the boys have been placed in protective custody.
According to Bored Panda, however, the boys’ father is awaiting authorization to be reunited with his children.
The father reportedly won’t “defend or minimize the acts committed,” which he labeled as “serious and deeply shocking,” but noted he won’t speak out against the children’s mother.
“I refuse to add hateful words, insults, or derogatory terms intended to dehumanize a person, even if they are found guilty,” he reportedly told Ici Alsace TV, per Bored Panda. “For my part, I choose not to fuel hatred or participate in verbal attacks, even in the face of the unacceptable.”
