A large-scale police operation has been underway since early morning against a group known as the “pedo-hunter scene”. Under the leadership of the Austrian authorities, house searches were conducted in seven federal states, resulting in the arrest of 15 suspects. The operation is focused on severe violence, including a attempted murder.
The police searched 23 locations, supported by special units such as Cobra and WEGA, as well as the public prosecutor’s office in Graz. Weapons, drugs and prohibited items were secured. According to information from the “Krone”, many of the suspects are believed to be from the right-wing extremist Identitarian movement.
Twelve men and three women, aged 14 to 26, have been arrested. Most of the suspects hold Austrian citizenship, with one German, one Croatian and one Romanian also detained. A Slovak was arrested with the support of local authorities in his home country.
The suspects allegedly targeted gay men on dating platforms, luring them into traps and brutally assaulting them – the violence ranged from severe bodily harm to an attempted murder. The investigations are ongoing, with further arrests not ruled out.
The LGBTQ community is in shock, while the authorities’ decisive action is being welcomed. Reports of attacks on gay men had been circulating for months, but the true extent was unclear until now.