These are international pedocriminal networks with a focus on German-speaking countries. In group chats with thousands of users and in messenger services, the perpetrators dealt with their abuse acts as a matter of course, heated up and gave tips, such as which sedatives are best administered to children in order to abuse them sexually.
Child abuse more widespread than expected
“Those who hesitate are encouraged and pushed by the others to put their intentions into practice,” said Biesenbach. These chats also set up dates to abuse multiple offenders on a child. It is a “new dimension of the crime,” said the Minister of Justice and confessed that he had “become sick”. “We have to recognize that child abuse is more widespread online than we previously thought.”
Hardly any inhibitions on the net
The fact that communication about the deeds is a matter of course is “extremely irritating” and “deeply disturbing,” said the Minister of Justice. It is to be feared that in such an atmosphere the inhibitions will decrease and men will commit acts of abuse who would have been afraid of this without the appropriate environment.
A dedicated “task force” of cyber investigators will start work on Wednesday. Six prosecutors would then, under great time pressure, first try to find cases in which child abuse could be expected to continue.
It is unclear whether real names can be determined
Biesenbach criticized that there was still no obligation to store and disclose the connection data. It is therefore unclear whether it is possible in all cases to determine the real names behind the pseudonyms with which the criminals communicate, said Chief Prosecutor Markus Hartmann, head of the Cybercrime Central Office in North Rhine-Westphalia.
To date, 72 suspects across Germany have been identified in the “Bergisch Gladbach” complex. Ten were in custody recently. Seven charges against eight people have already been filed. The case got underway in October 2019 with the first search of one of the main suspects in Bergisch Gladbach near Cologne.
Up to 350 investigators deployed in the abuse complex
The complex had employed 120 to 140 investigators a day in June. In the top there were even 350 employees. Some of the suspects are said to have abused their own children and exchanged pictures of the crimes. Investigators have been evaluating huge amounts of data for months. The investigation has long since extended to all 16 federal states.
The “Special Mountain Organization” has so far identified 44 children and freed them from the clutches of the perpetrators. Among them was a three month old baby.
(Quelle: What / Dpa)
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