A raid on Friday morning across seven federal states in Austria led to the arrest of 15 men and women suspected of committing “Hate Crimes.” At least 17 victims, all homosexual individuals, were targeted by the suspects who falsely accused them of pedophilia. The offenders proceeded to rob, injure, and degrade the victims. In one case, an attempted murder is also under investigation. Weapons and Nazi memorabilia were found during the house searches.
Around 400 police officers, criminal investigators, special forces from the Cobra task force, and the WEGA participated in the operation, which took place across Austria, excluding Carinthia and Vorarlberg, as well as in neighboring Slovakia. A total of 23 house searches were conducted. Hate crimes are crimes motivated by prejudice, where the perpetrators deliberately choose their victims because of their belonging to a group they reject.
Masked Offenders Abuse and Degrade Victims
Twelve men and three women, aged 14 to 26, were arrested. They are believed to have created fake social media accounts since May 2024, luring primarily homosexual men to remote locations. There, the victims were met by four to eight masked individuals who subjected them to abuse and degradation. The perpetrators filmed the assaults and uploaded the videos to private groups and online forums. Michael Lohnegger, head of the State Criminal Police Department of Styria, provided these details during a press statement on Friday morning while the raid was still ongoing.
The detainees will be questioned by the police. A decision must be made within 48 hours as to whether pretrial detention will be requested for the juveniles involved. This decision lies with the Graz Prosecutor’s Office, which is leading the investigations.
“Urgently Needed Blow Against Hate Crime”
Lohnegger emphasized that this operation was an urgently needed blow against hate crime. The actions were mainly directed at the homosexual community. The origins of the crimes go back to the spring of the previous year when several robberies were reported in the southern Graz-Umgebung district. Investigations showed that it was not a classic street robbery but rather a hate crime aimed at hurting and degrading people, he explained.
Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) described the operation as a significant strike against a national criminal network. “A highly brutal and inhuman group of offenders has been removed from circulation,” he said. He emphasized that such crimes, internationally known as hate crimes, often involve the targeting, torture, degradation, and robbery of homosexual individuals.
“Venator” Task Force Established Since October 2024
Lohnegger noted that the so-called “Pedo-Hunter” scene had been spreading, prompting the State Criminal Police Department to take over the investigations. An additional task force called “Venator” was established in October 2024. The perpetrators created fake accounts in social media and contact platforms to lure victims, where sexual acts were agreed upon at remote locations. However, instead of the expected meeting, the victims were confronted by four to eight masked individuals who severely abused them. Lohnegger stated that the perpetrators did not just want to injure their victims but also rob and degrade them, filming the entire ordeal.
According to Lohnegger, the suspects acted under the guise of vigilantism, claiming to “take out” or humiliate pedophiles from society. However, the perpetrators were fully aware that their victims were not pedophiles. These “cruel acts” were rationalized by the perpetrators to justify their actions.
Police were unable to confirm whether the suspects were members of the Identitarian movement, as weapons, drugs, and prohibited items were found during the house searches. Deputy Director of the State Police Department Joachim Huber emphasized that “none of the victims are pedophiles.”
The Graz Prosecutor’s Office also confirmed that a trial began two weeks ago for three suspects who had attacked homosexuals in the same way. The trial was held in closed sessions due to ongoing investigations. “There is a connection between the three defendants and the house searches,” said spokesman Kroschl. The trial was adjourned without a verdict.
