Children Are “Weaponized” Through Online Games To Commit Murder, Europol Claims

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European law enforcement is increasingly focused on online multiplayer games and related platforms due to growing concerns that criminals are exploiting children. There are rising fears that children are being groomed, manipulated, and potentially used to carry out violent acts.

Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, worked with eight countries to find and remove thousands of hateful posts from gaming platforms. During a coordinated effort on November 13th with Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom, Europol identified approximately 5,408 links to extremist religious content, 1,070 links to violent far-right and terrorist material, and 105 links to racist and xenophobic content across various unnamed gaming sites.

Catherine De Bolle, the head of Europol, recently told Politico that she’s worried about a troubling discovery. A joint committee called the European Union Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) found that criminal groups are using online gaming platforms to recruit children and involve them in horrific acts like torture and murder.

Organized crime groups in Europe are currently exploiting children, turning them into tools for serious crimes. This goes far beyond simple theft; these groups are ordering children to commit acts of torture and even murder. In one horrifying instance, a young boy was forced to kill his own sister – a level of cruelty we’ve never witnessed before.

I was really disturbed to learn about how criminals are targeting kids online. Apparently, they start by joining public game chats and just acting normal, talking about stuff like their families or pets. Then, they slowly move kids to private chats and try to trick them into sharing personal info – things like family names and even where they live. It’s terrifying because once they have that info, they can manipulate kids into doing awful things, like hurting their families or even themselves, through bribery or blackmail. It’s just awful to think about.

The Referral Action Day program found disturbing and violent content across various gaming and streaming platforms. Investigations by the EU IRU revealed that criminals were simulating terrorist attacks, executions, and school shootings within games. They would then modify these videos with slogans or concerning emojis before sharing them widely on popular social media sites.

Europol reports that at least 105 violent crimes, including 10 murders, have been carried out by children who were essentially hired to commit them. These children were sometimes offered up to $20,000 for their involvement, although not all of them actually received payment. Europol describes these children as being used like remote-controlled weapons, and criminals have reportedly threatened them with violence if they fail to complete the assigned task as a way to enforce the ‘debt’.

Criminals are increasingly targeting children online, and when those children don’t comply with demands, they escalate to threats—even harming the family pet to demonstrate they know where the child lives and will go to extreme lengths, including threatening the parents themselves. Parents often feel responsible, struggling to understand how this could happen. It’s difficult because parents can’t monitor everything their children do online while also respecting their privacy, but open communication about internet dangers is crucial.

According to De Bolle, all children are vulnerable, regardless of whether they face bullying, have mental health issues, or are generally well-adjusted. Criminals are increasingly targeting them, and their activities range from domestic abuse to gathering intelligence for state-sponsored conflicts.

De Bolle explained that there’s a growing trend of criminals working with state-sponsored actors. These groups are essentially outsourcing their operations, using younger individuals to carry out attacks and listen for information about critical infrastructure.

Roblox, a popular game creation platform, has drawn criticism from parents and politicians due to concerns about children’s safety, though it wasn’t specifically mentioned in recent reports by Europol and the EU IRU. With a user base largely comprised of children under 13, Roblox has faced lawsuits alleging child exploitation and grooming. States like Florida and Texas are currently suing Roblox Corporation, claiming they haven’t adequately protected children. While Roblox has announced plans to use facial scanning to verify ages and limit interactions between minors and adults, some officials, like a California lawmaker, believe the company needs to do even more to ensure children’s safety.

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2025-11-21 20:40