At least 15 individuals have been arrested in Austria and Slovakia on charges of committing hate crimes against the gay community, according to state police in southern Austria.
On Friday morning, about 400 officers carried out raids on behalf of the Graz public prosecutor's office. They arrested 12 men and three women, aged 14 to 26, who are accused of using fake social media profiles to lure people—many of whom were gay—to isolated locations, where they were then beaten and filmed.
"The group claimed their actions were targeting paedophiles," stated Styria state police on their X page. "However, the increasingly violent acts were actually directed at the homosexual community."
The perpetrators began their online activity in May 2024, with police describing their actions as being done under the guise of vigilantism. Masked men met victims in remote areas, where they filmed themselves assaulting, robbing, and abusing the individuals before posting the footage in online groups.
At least 17 incidents have been identified so far, with one case even under investigation for attempted murder. Authorities believe there may be more unreported cases.
The raids took place at 23 locations across Austria and in Slovakia. Of the 15 people arrested, 11 were Austrian, while the others were from Croatia, Germany, Romania, and Slovakia.
Austrian media reported that during the house searches, police found weapons and Nazi memorabilia.
Austrian special forces are collaborating with law enforcement and prosecutors across seven states in the country, though authorities have assured there is "no concrete threat to the public."
