Massive Pedophile Trial in France

(Angers, France) A huge criminal trial of 66 men and women charged with child rape is underway in the city of Angers, 150 miles southwest of Paris. A special hall had to be constructed to accommodate the participants in the trial including: 60 lawyers, 45 victims, and the accused. Proceedings will be closed to the public and are expected to last four months.

The defendants are accused of "buying" children aged 12 and under from their parents for paltry sums of money or cartons of cigarettes. Most of the child rapes occurred at the apartment of Franck Vergondy between 1999 and 2002. Vergondy and convicted sex offender Eric Joubert founded the pedophile ring. Three defendants face possible sentences of life in prison while the others are looking at three to 20 years.

For some reason, there's no mention of charges against the parents for bartering their children as sex toys. It seems they should be culpable of something illegal.