Two French children found alone in Portugal, step-parents arrested

Two French boys, Zacharie and Barthélemy, aged 3 and 5, were discovered on Tuesday by the side of a road near the town of Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, crying and without identification documents.

A passerby found them with backpacks containing food and water. Their disappearance had been reported on May 11 by their biological father from Colmar, France, which led to the triggering of a European alert. Authorities in France and Portugal have opened investigations, and the children's step-parents, a 41-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man, have been arrested in the area of the town of Fátima, being investigated for domestic violence and abandonment.

A baker took care of the children until the authorities arrived. Currently, the children are in the care of Portuguese social services, set to be evaluated and protected until a possible repatriation.