Six teenagers were apprehended on Tuesday suspected of participating in a group that induced a 13-year-old girl to self-harm and suicide during a live stream on Discord. The case prompted ANPD (National Data Protection Authority) to suspend the platform's live broadcasts.
This is the second phase of the operation investigating the crime. In the first phase, carried out in early August, another five teenagers were apprehended and an 18-year-old man was detained.
The group is accused of inducing victims to self-harm using information obtained from them to blackmail them. Investigators point out that this conduct is part of the so-called "digital slavery," characterized by a dynamic of coercion, blackmail, and control exercised in the virtual environment, where victims are subjected to threats and pressure to comply with the demands of members of these groups.
In addition to carrying out the judicial measures, the operation aims to identify other children and adolescents who may be victims of blackmail and coercion.
