Australian authorities have issued a stark warning about a sinister trend where young girls are being manipulated by online crime networks into committing violent acts. This alarming phenomenon, described as a ‘twisted type of gamification,’ involves coercing victims into harming themselves, their siblings, or even pets. Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett is set to address this issue in a speech on Wednesday, highlighting it as a ‘new and disturbing front in traditional gender-based violence.’
A newly established taskforce is working alongside global law enforcement agencies to combat this growing threat. So far, three individuals have been arrested in Australia, with an additional nine apprehended internationally. The perpetrators, primarily young men in their late teens or early 20s from Western backgrounds, are driven by violent extremist ideologies, including nihilism, sadism, Nazism, and satanism. Dubbed ‘crimefluencers’ by Barrett, they exploit gaming platforms like Roblox and messaging apps such as Discord and Telegram to recruit pre-teen and teenage girls.
Barrett emphasized that these networks operate similarly to online gaming cultures, hunting and luring victims across various platforms. The motivation behind these acts is not financial gain or sexual gratification but rather a desire for amusement, popularity, or sheer fun. ‘They may not fully understand the consequences of their behavior,’ she added.
In Australia alone, nearly 60 alleged offenders have been identified. The AFP is collaborating with Five Eyes nations—the US, UK, New Zealand, and Canada—to dismantle these groups. This development coincides with Australia’s upcoming social media ban for children under 16, aimed at reducing online harm. However, gaming and messaging platforms remain exempt from the new legislation, which takes effect in December.