Swedish court jails 18-year-old over remote violent crimes

A Swedish district court has sentenced an 18-year-old known as Chai to more than 10 years in prison for attempted murder, rape and aggravated assault committed through the internet, including offences against a teenage girl in Australia.

The court convicted Chai of two counts of attempted murder involving a young person in Germany, along with multiple sexual and violent offences against the Australian teenager and other offences. Chai was aged 15 to 17 when the crimes were committed.

What the court found

The district court found that Chai had been active in online networks associated with sadistic extortion of young and vulnerable people. Such networks coerce victims to create sexually explicit material or take part in violent acts, while material may be traded to build status, control or access to closed online spaces. Read the context: Exploring the online network where children are coerced into violence and self-harm.

Jenny Östling, a senior public prosecutor at Sweden’s national unit against international and organised crime, said the ruling showed the seriousness of what she described as “nihilistic violent extremism” and the loosely connected network known as the Com.

What we know now

• The court found that remote offences carried out through the internet could support convictions for violent crimes.
• A forensic psychiatric examination found Chai was not suffering from a serious mental disorder when the offences occurred.
• The defence said the court had made an error of judgment on a large proportion of the charges.

Why the ruling matters

Östling said the sentence was among the longest possible in Sweden for someone of Chai’s age. She also said the finding on remotely committed violence was an important tool for investigating similar cases.

The cases often cross national borders, with investigations involving the US, UK, Germany and Australia. Authorities have warned of potential signs of exploitation, including self-harm and isolation, as international agencies raise concerns about networks targeting young people.