Young girls in Australia are being specifically sought out by online criminal networks and manipulated into carrying out violent actions, which can include harm to themselves, their siblings, or even pets. Authorities are describing this as a disturbing form of “gamification” of violence.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner, Krissy Barrett, has announced the formation of a new taskforce dedicated to collaborating with international law enforcement agencies to combat this emerging threat. She highlighted this as a “new and disturbing front in traditional gender-based violence.” So far, three individuals have been apprehended in Australia, with nine more arrested globally in connection with these activities.
While the exact nature of the violent acts is not specified, Commissioner Barrett indicated that the individuals involved hold extremist ideologies and engage in this behavior purely for their own entertainment or to gain online notoriety. These perpetrators, typically in their late teens or early twenties and originating from Western countries, often recruit victims as young as pre-teens through popular gaming platforms like Roblox and communication apps such as Discord and Telegram.
Commissioner Barrett referred to these individuals as “crimefluencers,” noting that they often share similar cultural characteristics with multiplayer online gaming communities. They actively seek out, track, and draw victims into their activities, sometimes without fully grasping the severe consequences of their actions. She emphasized that the primary motivations are not financial gain or sexual gratification, but rather amusement, “fun,” or social standing within online circles.
In Australia alone, nearly 60 alleged offenders have been identified. The AFP is actively working with its counterparts in the other Five Eyes nations – the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada – to dismantle these networks. This development comes as Australia prepares to implement pioneering legislation that will ban social media access for individuals under 16, aiming to curb online harm. However, gaming and messaging platforms are currently exempt from this new law, which is set to take effect in December.
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