Police Investigate After Dating Attacks in Upper Austria: Hate Crime Motive Suspected

Two young men from Mühlviertel lured men to remote locations three times at the beginning of April using a dating platform. One victim was robbed, and the other two had their car tires slashed by the armed and masked perpetrators. The Linz public prosecutor's office confirmed a corresponding report by the "Krone" (Friday edition). Investigators assume that these are copycats of the recently uncovered hate crime cases. The suspects are in pre-trial detention.

Through a dating app, the 20-year-old and the 22-year-old contacted a 25-year-old from the Linz-Land district on April 1 and arranged a meeting. They appeared masked and armed with a CO2 pistol and a baton. They forced their victim to give them his phone, withdraw cash from an ATM, and transfer money via online banking - the latter, however, failed.

Victims in Upper Austria Had Car Tires Slashed

The following night, they used the same method to lure a 25-year-old from the Wels-Land district and a 26-year-old from the Vöcklabruck district to Mauthausen and Langenstein, respectively. Again, they appeared masked and armed. This time, they slashed their victims' car tires, but they were not robbed.

One of the affected individuals remembered the perpetrators' car license plate and informed the police. The car was quickly found, with the two suspects inside. Officers found balaclavas, a gas pressure pistol, a folding knife, and a baseball bat in the vehicle.

Hate Crime Cases as a Model

The two men were likely inspired by reports of hate crime cases to imitate such acts. They took it as a "guide to action," according to public prosecutor's office spokeswoman Ulrike Breiteneder to the APA. However, the exact motive is still unclear. The suspects claim to have problems with pedophiles - the victims in this case are also not pedophiles. The dating app they used is likely specialized for homo- and bisexual users.

However, investigators also consider it possible that the perpetrators merely want to distract from the robbery. They admit to part of the acts, but not the robbery. They claim the 25-year-old offered them the money voluntarily, which he denies. The investigations are not yet complete; they are initially being conducted for aggravated robbery and property damage.

(APA/Red)

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