French police probe sickening reports of child trafficking on second-hand clothes site Vinted

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Vinted has said it has thoroughly investigated the listings and 'found no credible cases linking them to child trafficking activity'

French police are investigating reports of child trafficking on second-hand clothes website Vinted.

Videos on social media stitching together listings of extremely highly-priced items and odd language has gone viral, prompting an intervention by French authorities.

Many of the adverts are for toys and seem to describe them with human traits.

One advert lists a "bunny stuffed animal" for €1,000 (£865) and is described as a three-year-old female weighing two stone, measuring 91 centimetres, and is described as small, blue-eyed and obedient.

Another describes an Etch-A-Sketch toy €6,000 (£5,180) and is described as being shy, anxious and noisy.

Now Sarah El Hairy, France's high commissioner for children, has brought the issue to the authorities.

She said on social media: "You can never be too careful.

"I would rather see a strict precautionary principle applied than a single child left at the mercy of their abusers.

"The truth must be established without any taboos. Platforms have a responsibility: no space should be a hunting ground for predators."

The police unit specialising in children is leading the investigation.

France is not the only European country now investigating the allegations.

Police in Frankfurt, Germany, also confirmed the force was investigating the Vinted posts.

"We are taking these reports very seriously. We are also aware of the emotional reactions and fears such descriptions can trigger," the force said.

It added: "Based on current information, there are strong indications that these are fake ads.

"Nevertheless, we do not allow any room for speculation in such sensitive areas."

Vinted has said its investigations found no credible evidence linking posts to child trafficking.

The Lithuanian company added it was removing fake listings which had been made to "fuel this conversation".

While screenshots of the images shared on social media all look to have been uploaded instantly before being photographed.

In a statement, Vinted said: "We have thoroughly investigated the listings currently being shared online and found no credible cases linking them to child trafficking activity.

"Where these listings are deliberately faked to fuel this conversation, we are swiftly removing them and taking action on accounts, including bans.

"We are collaborating closely with the relevant authorities as they conduct their own investigation."

In 2020, US furniture brand Wayfair faced similar accusations from conspiracy theorists who believed listings for cabinets with women's names were for human trafficking.

Wayfair said it used an algorithm to name items and occasional high prices were caused by glitches, adding that "there is of course no truth to these claims".