Australian girls are being hunted by online crime networks and coerced into acts of violence - against themselves, their siblings or pets - in a 'twisted type of gamification', police have warned.
A new Australian taskforce has been set up to help the globe tackle this 'new and disturbing front in traditional gender-based violence', Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said in a speech on Wednesday.
Three people have already been arrested in Australia, and another nine around the world amidst increasing concerns about the nature of these crimes. The alleged perpetrators hold violent extremist views and inflict harm 'for fun'.
These criminal networks largely consist of boys and men, typically in their teens or early twenties, who recruit susceptible pre-teen or teenage girls through gaming platforms such as Roblox or messaging apps like Discord and Telegram.
Defined by Ms. Barrett as 'crimefluencers', these individuals adhere to a variety of disturbing ideologies including nihilism, sadism, Nazism, and satanism, specifically targeting vulnerable girls who may struggle with self-esteem or mental health issues.
'These groups exhibit a culture akin to multiplayer online gaming, actively hunting and stalking their victims across various platforms,' she noted. The motivations for such behavior stem not from financial or sexual gain, but rather from a desire for amusement or social validation online.
Nearly 60 alleged offenders have been identified in Australia, and the AFP is collaborating with Five Eyes nations, including the US, UK, New Zealand, and Canada, to confront these groups. Moreover, tech companies are assisting in developing an AI tool aimed at deciphering coded language used to discuss exploitation in encrypted communications.
This alarming revelation comes as Australia prepares to introduce a world-first social media restriction for children under the age of 16 to diminish online harm. Notably, however, gaming and messaging platforms will be exempt from these new laws, which are set to take effect in December.
