Selling a Child?

A young couple in Bavaria, Germany, is investigated by the police since they put an advertisement on a web site, offering to sell their child. The child is now in the custody of the social services.

The parents wanted 1 € or the highest offered bid. When the web site moderators took the advertisement away after two hours, no offers had been made. The parents defend their action by saying it was just a joke. I believe them. If you would offer to sell a pup on the Internet for 1 €, this would obviously be a joke. You normally sell pups, but even a mix breed is always much more expensive than that. Children are never sold, so how could an offer to sell something that is priceless for just 1 € be considered anything else than a joke? Of course, you could call it a sick joke (I don't, but I am a dog and thus used to the thought of selling your offspring - Daniel says he thinks it is a sick joke), but nevertheless a joke.