CNN is reporting today on a British prostitution ring sentenced to less than 3 years in prison for trafficking underage girls. From the report:

“This is a sad and harrowing case that involved the main defendants
effectively selling the virginity of girls as young as 13 for as much as
150,000 pounds ($231,300),” said Detective Chief Superintendent Richard
Martin, head of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Human Exploitation
and Organized Crime Command.

Fatima Hagnegat, Marokh Jamali and Rasoul Gholampour pleaded guilty
to conspiracy to traffic persons within the United Kingdom for sexual
exploitation. Hagnegat and Jamali also pleaded guilty to control of
prostitution for gain, police said.

Jamali and Gholampour
received sentences of two years and nine months in prison, while
Hagnegat was sentenced to two and a half years, court officials
announced.

A 43-year-old woman who also pleaded guillty to trafficking conspiracy received a two-and-a-half-year prison term

Am I reading this right? The prison sentence for selling the virginity of 13-year-old girls is less than 3 years in prison?

These penalties seem sorely lacking. With trafficking in persons being one of the most financially lucrative crimes, I am shocked at what seems to fall short of justice for these victims.

Keeping in mind the Gospel when you answer this, what is the appropriate punishment? Your thoughts?