The stepfather accused of abandoning two young boys blindfolded in a Portuguese forest had recorded a series of disturbing videos just days earlier in which he warned of an impending apocalypse, urged people to hide in nature and claimed a horse he encountered had been “hybridised with reptile DNA.”
Marc Ballabriga, 55, a former police officer, is alleged to have filmed the videos on 15 May — just four days before he and his partner Marine Rousseau, 41, are accused of abandoning their sons Barthelemy, five, and Zacharie, three, on a remote rural road near Alcacer do Sal in southern Portugal. The videos, obtained by Portuguese broadcaster TVI and reported by CNN Portugal, show Ballabriga delivering what investigators describe as a mixture of conspiracy theories and hate speech, with the former officer declaring that the world would end on 22 May.
“Today is the first day of the preparations for Armageddon, which will start on 22 May and which will last 28 days,” Ballabriga says in the footage. “You will be afraid, you will all be afraid. Me, I won’t be afraid. I’ve been expecting this for a very long time.” He went on to urge viewers to flee to the countryside ahead of the coming catastrophe. “We can hide here between the rocks,” he said. “We can all find solutions to find our shelter.”
In separate clips, Ballabriga appears to believe he can control the sun, commanding it to shine in order to frighten away a horse — which he claimed was “not natural” and had been “hybridised with reptile DNA.” In another video, he turns the camera on himself to demonstrate that he can stare directly into the sun without discomfort.
Four days after recording the footage, Ballabriga and Rousseau — described in reports as a sexologist — allegedly took their two young sons into a forest, blindfolded them and told them they were playing a game called “drive away the devil,” in which they had to find a buried knife to cut off their blindfolds. The children were later found crying and alone on a rural road, carrying a backpack containing clothing, water, biscuits and fruit. The couple were tracked down approximately 100 miles away in a café near Lisbon and arrested on 21 May.
The case has since taken a further bizarre turn. According to The Sun, reports have emerged that Rousseau and Ballabriga allegedly discussed pretending to be mentally ill after their arrest, with the alleged conversation understood to have taken place in a police car shortly after they were detained. Court officials are said to be aware of the alleged exchange. During subsequent court appearances, Rousseau was heard singing loudly in an operatic style, while Ballabriga shouted “I love you” in French — it was unclear to whom the remark was directed.
Both were refused bail and will remain in custody until their trial. A judge is expected to make a further ruling on their detention status on Saturday. They face charges of domestic violence, exposure and abandonment.
