AIBU to be horrified by this story of child abandonment?

[Bullseyebutnotthenineties]

Has anyone seen this story? Sorry, struggling to link it.
A french mother and stepfather in Portugal abandoned their/her 3 year old and 5 year old in the woods.
Apparently they blindfolded them and told them they were playing a treasure hunt game and to wait, then take the blindfold off when they’d hidden the toy/prize.
They then left them there 😢
The boys were found on the side of the road by a lovely Portuguese man, who cried during his interview when talking about the boys. They were crying for their real dad apparently
The real dad, resident in France, had informed the authorities that the boys had been kidnapped by the mother (who has custody of them) and taken out of the country. She also left her other 16 year old son at home in France.
The couple were apparently found two hours away sitting on a terrace having a coffee and pastry.
The boys had little backpacks on with a bottle of water, change of clothes, sandwich and piece of fruit in.

There are no words, those poor poor boys
What on earth could make a mother do this?

I know, I read about it earlier. Those poor little boys. Thank goodness they were found relatively quickly and by a good person. I can't even begin to comprehend the thought processes that would lead their mother to do such a thing. I hope their father gets full custody now and she never gets near them again.

I hope the adults involved go to prison for a long time. They're absolutely despicable.

It’s horrific. No sane person, especially a mother would do this. Lock her up and throw away the key.

I read this story earlier OP. It's absolutely shocking and so sad.

It's impossible to understand why she took them and didn't just leave them with their dad if she didn't want them with her.

It's disgusting. Holding my own little boy extra tight having read that story

I’ve just been out on a countryside walk with our 3yo, and the trust in his little face as he held my hand as we walked through the woods was beautiful, this is such a horrible news story.

I read this earlier and tbh couldn't comprehend it. Why would you kidnap your sons then leave them in a forest ! If you dont want to look after them, just leave them with Dad.

To me this is attempted murder. Thet clearly have no grasp on reality.

I was just reading about this.Yes it's horrific. As are other news stories on the Internet about almost unbelievable instances of cruelty and abnormal behaviour which appear with worrying regularity. From over the world, and actually a lot from the US.

They are horrific and the only crumb of comfort is these stories are still rare enough to be sensational news items. The day they are routine and not newsworthy will be the day the world enters total depravity.

I assume there’s some significant mental health issues- she’s already been singing opera in court and, yes obviously her actions make no sense. It’s lucky the boys have come out of that experience safely and hopefully she can now get treatment.

While i could not ever condone cruelty to a child, it is what's being left out of the reporting of this story that's bothering me.

For example, the Tania Clarence case.

What an odd comment, like you’re suggesting this could be the children’s fault, which I’m sure you’re not - just worded a bit strangely…

Anything that has been left out does not diminish that a mother left her two very young children alone in the woods. It's just luck they aren't dead. Extra details don't change that.

This is it, I just do not understand it at all
Even if they were going to abandon them (for whatever reason) why not even leave them outside a hospital etc? Plus why do it in such a cruel way as in a game, god it’s so heartbreaking thinking of them being so confused and scared 😔 and thinking about what could have happened to them-could have been ran over, taken by pedo’s, starved to death…god it’s horrific

Yes, there has to be more to it, it’s very odd.
I think I read that the real dad only had visitation rights, which doesn’t sound great either.
The Portuguese man apparently has ten children of his own with his wife (yes a lot!) but all doing well and three in university, he said he would take the children in if needed.

so somehow they deserved this because of something they did? Or it was done to punish the father because he deserved the subsequent pain and suffering?! Or. Oh wait a minute… she did it to “keep them safe…”
bloody apologist nonsense!!

Why, what was the Tania Clarence case? I haven’t heard of this

This is true, I just cannot comprehend any possible reason for this

It's awful, as you say @Bullseyebutnotthenineties it is heartbreaking, those poor children.

Mum will be sectioned, SD will be charged with neglect. Kids will be OK but scarred. Dad may not be a responsible parent either if he only has visitation rights not shared custody. No one knows. It may not be the first time the boys were left unattended and uncared for either.

Kids are resilient. I just hope wherever they end up, that their care will be loving and caring until they are adults.

I did wonder about Dad - perhaps it was an acrimonious split and him having the kids is the last thing she wanted but the new boyfriend didn’t want the kids or they didn’t fit into the life she wanted. I’m sure she’ll try and claim she has mental health issues but that seems convenient

thank god they were found and kept safe. The photo of them with the little one holding on to his big brother was heartbreaking. I hope they can stay together and with family that loves and cherishes them the way they should be

I cant comprehend how scared they would have been
And so many unbearable outcomes had they not been found promptly

The photo was just 😢 also apparently when the French translator lady came on the phone to the older boy, he thought it was his mum at first 😔 it said a Gnr guy cried seeing the hope in his face.
I honestly feel like I could take them in.
I really really hope they won’t have a memory of this

To say I was speechless is an understatement. I can't get my head around why a parent just doesn't leave a child somewhere safe, if they can't /won't care for them any longer.

I read that they were overheard by guards saying to act crazy in order to get a lighter sentence . Plus the mother described herself as a sexologist . WTF. I would be intrigued to hear from them as to their reasoning or explaination as to why . It's so incomprehensible and bizarre . So glad they were caught and I do hope they go to prison for a long long time .

This is it, why be so cruel