The alleged perpetrator of the attacks had already been in prison, having been sentenced in 1996 to ten years of criminal imprisonment in another case.
[3] The case gained media attention on March 8th, 2002 with the publication of several press articles as well as the broadcast of a report on the 8 p.m. news of France 2.
[6] In addition to the incestuous nature of the crimes, the age of the children, which had ranged from 6 months to 12 years, as well as the scale of the network had shocked investigators and the public.
Coming from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds, the families involved had prostituted their children in exchange for sums deemed “insignificant” by the prosecutor.
However, the investigation revealed that Franck and Patricia Vergondy received 150 to 300 euros per week, which were sums considered significant for a family living on social benefits.