Thessaloniki: Young men who beat and stripped men who made appointments with minors are accused of forming a criminal organization

These are individuals aged 16 to 19 (7 young boys - 2 young girls), against whom a criminal case was filed, as appropriate, for the offenses of criminal organization, robbery, dangerous bodily harm and violation of the Personal Data Legislation.

Specifically, as emerged from the police investigation, the individuals who acted as “self-proclaimed vigilantes” in the Meteora grove formed a criminal group and, using profiles that referred to a female name, with a different pretext each time (selling a mobile phone, sex dates), made appointments with their potential victims via a social networking application.

They then dragged them into the grove where they were brutally beaten, while at the same time removing their personal belongings. In fact, in one of the cases, they forced one of them to undress while simultaneously videotaping their actions.

The Hellenic Police investigation revealed that in November five such attacks were recorded against five men, from whom a total of 480 euros, six mobile phones and various personal documents and belongings were removed.

It is noted that most of the cases concerned an online date with an alleged minor. In one of them, a 27-year-old Greek national was arrested, within the framework of the investigation, for the offense of Solicitation of Children for Sexual Purposes. The individual had gone to the police station alone after the attack he received and told the police that he had made a date with a 14-year-old girl, however, as soon as he arrived, he was severely beaten by a group of young people.

At the same time, within the framework of the investigations, it was found that five of the nine perpetrators have been in the past of concern to the Authorities for various criminal offenses.

The case file that has been filed against the nine individuals has been forwarded to the competent prosecutor.