The at least 17 victims are homosexuals who were falsely accused of pedophilia by the suspects. As a result, the perpetrators robbed, injured, and humiliated them. In one case, attempted murder is also being considered. Weapons and Nazi memorabilia were found during the house searches.

Around 400 police officers and detectives, special forces from the Cobra task force and the Wega were involved in the operation on behalf of the Graz public prosecutor's office early Friday morning throughout Austria, except for Carinthia and Vorarlberg, as well as in neighboring Slovakia. A total of 23 house searches took place. Hate crime involves prejudice-motivated offenses. The perpetrators deliberately choose the victims because they belong to a group they reject.

Masked Perpetrators Abused and Humiliated Victims

Twelve men and three women aged 14 to 26 were arrested. Since May 2024, they are said to have created fake accounts on social networks and used them to lure predominantly homosexual men to meetings in remote locations. There, the victims were met by four to eight masked individuals and subjected to abuse and humiliation. The perpetrators also filmed the assaults and subsequently uploaded these videos to internal groups as well as on the internet and relevant forums, explained Michael Lohnegger, head of the State Criminal Police Office of Styria, during a press statement on Friday morning while the raid was still ongoing.

Lohnegger further stated: "This is a much-needed blow against hate crime. In this hate crime offense, we are dealing with the prejudice motive of sexual orientation." The acts were primarily directed against the homosexual community. The origin lies in the spring of the previous year: "In May and June, several robberies were reported in the south of the Graz-Umgebung district." The investigations showed "that it was not about classic street robbery, but rather a 'hate crime' offense, where the aim is to injure and humiliate people," said Lohnegger.

Task Force "Venator" Since October 2024

After this so-called "pedo-hunter scene" continued to spread, the State Criminal Police Office took over the investigations. Further criminal acts could be identified, which is why the task force "Venator" was established within the LKA in October 2024. "The perpetrator groups created fake accounts on social media and various contact platforms to lure potential victims," Lohnegger described the perpetrators' approach. During contact with the victims, sexual acts were sometimes agreed upon "in secluded spots," the LKA head continued. "However, they do not encounter the promised meeting there, but rather four to eight masked individuals who severely abuse the victims. We have recorded serious intentional bodily harm, in one case even attempted murder."

According to the investigators, the group of perpetrators was not only intent on injuring the victims, but also on robbing and humiliating them, and filming the whole thing: "Victims have to dance with the masked perpetrators, and these videos were then uploaded to corresponding private groups." The arrests are a first blow against the scene. The police assume a high number of unreported cases and ask any other possible victims to come forward, "because such acts must be rigorously stopped." The suspects have "become increasingly brutal from act to act, and the injuries have become increasingly severe." "The humiliations took on an above-average extent," said Lohnegger.

Under the "Cloak of Vigilantism"

In response to an APA inquiry, it was stated that among the 15 arrested individuals, eleven have Austrian citizenship, one has Croatian, one Romanian, one Slovakian, and one German citizenship. One arrest took place in Slovakia, the others in Austria. Currently, investigators have 17 criminally relevant incidents, but more are expected.

According to Lohnegger, the alleged perpetrators were networked nationwide. The group originated south of Graz, then expanded to Styria and then throughout Austria - there were even specific "administrators" in the group. Lohnegger explained that the suspects acted under the "cloak of vigilantism": "Officially, the aim is to remove or humiliate pedophiles from society, but - as the investigations also show - the perpetrators are very well aware that the victims are not pedophiles." These "cruel acts" were "glossed over" by the alleged perpetrators to justify them to themselves.

"Not a Single Victim is Pedophile"

Whether the alleged perpetrators are Identitarians, since unauthorized items were found during house searches alongside weapons and drugs, could not be answered by the police for the time being. Deputy State Police Director Joachim Huber emphasized that "not a single victim is pedophile."

The Graz public prosecutor's office also confirmed in response to an APA inquiry that a trial against three defendants, who attacked homosexuals using the same method, began at the Graz Regional Criminal Court about two weeks ago. However, it was held behind closed doors due to ongoing investigations. "There is a connection between the three defendants and the house searches," said spokesman Christian Kroschl. The trial initially remained without a verdict and was adjourned.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.