After Arrests in Major Raid: 13 Suspects in Pre-Trial Detention

The 13 suspects were transferred to the detention center on the order of the prosecution. Investigations are ongoing. So far, there have been 18 arrests and 26 house searches. The authorities have also requested the extradition of a suspect arrested in Slovakia. Numerous items and data carriers were seized during the searches for forensic examination.

Search for Further Victims of Hate Crime After Arrests

Raids in the case took place early Friday in seven federal states, except Carinthia and Vorarlberg, and in Slovakia. The police also spoke of "large quantities" of data carriers that were discovered. There was also talk of at least 17 victims who were falsely accused of pedophilia by the suspects. According to the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) Styria, they were robbed, injured, and humiliated. Intentional grievous bodily harm is suspected, and in one case, attempted murder. Weapons and Nazi memorabilia were also found during the house searches.

According to information from Friday, the suspects are said to have created fake accounts on social networks since May 2024 and used them to lure mainly homosexual men to remote locations. There, the victims, among whom there were also heterosexuals according to interviews, as the police announced on Saturday, were met by four to eight masked individuals and subjected to abuse and humiliation. In the "hate crime" case, a high number of unreported cases is assumed. The call for further victims to contact the LKA in Graz (Tel.: 059133 / 603333) therefore remains in place.

(APA/Red)

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