At least 15 people have been arrested in Slovakia, accused of hate crimes aimed at gay communities, according to state police in southern Austria.
About 400 officers participated in the attack on behalf of the Glaz prosecutor’s office on Friday morning.
They arrested 12 men and three women, between the ages of 14 and 26. They filmed many gays after being accused of seducing them into remote areas using fake social media accounts.
“The group claimed that the behavior was aimed at pedophiles,” Styrian Police wrote on Page X. “In fact, more and more brutality has been directed towards the gay community.”
The perpetrators began using social media accounts to lure people in May 2024. Police said the suspect “acted under the guise of vigilance.”
The masked man met an individual who was deceived in a far-flung location, and filmed the victim, robbed and abused him, police said. After that, the footage was uploaded to the online group.
They said at least 17 cases had been identified so far, but one is even under investigation due to an attempted murder.
Police believe there may be more unreported cases.
Officers stormed 23 homes in Austria and nearby Slovakia. Of the 15 men and women arrested, 11 were Austrian, Croatian, one German, one Romanian, and one Slovak.
Austrian media also reported that police found weapons and Nazi memorabilia while searching for the house.
Austrian special forces are working with police and prosecutors from seven states across the country, they said, but the authorities added that “there is no concrete threat to the people.”
