At least 12 minors under 18 have been arrested or linked to thwarted terror plots across Europe since early 2024 for involvement in “764/The Com” nihilistic violent extremism networks that operate through Discord and Telegram. Denmark charged two teenagers this week in a case that fits the pattern: remote coercion, gaming platforms, and suspects too young to understand the ideology they allegedly served.
Police in Hadsten arrested two 15 year olds on suspicion of planning an attack at a local school this week. Prosecutors charged both under Denmark’s terror provisions. The case has not been detailed publicly, but it arrives as security services across Europe wrestle with a new category of extremism that recruits children via chat apps and gaming servers, then directs them to commit real world violence.
Remote control terror
Researchers at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center have documented **at least 12 arrests or foiled plots involving minors in Europe linked to “764/The Com” since early 2024**. Two cases involved remote coercion through Discord and Telegram rather than face to face recruitment. The networks have been tied to 295 arrests in 33 countries between 2021 and early 2026. That includes at least 27 incidents with clear intent to kill and 9 involving livestreamed attacks or abuse.
Only 43 arrests linked to this form of extremism were recorded globally through mid 2022. By the end of 2024, the count exceeded 150. By mid 2026, it neared 300. That is a roughly sixfold increase in four years.
Ideology light, method heavy
Europol and national intelligence agencies describe nihilistic violent extremism as ideology light but method heavy. The goal is often the violent act itself, or the humiliation of a coerced participant, rather than advancing a coherent political project. Remote organisers share scripts and missions that gamify harm. Self harm, animal abuse, assault, arson, and even murder are assigned points, rankings, and cult aesthetics.
Recruitment typically starts in open communities centered on memes, gore videos, or edgy humor. Once a vulnerable target is identified, the conversation moves into closed groups and encrypted channels. For internationals living in Denmark, this creates two overlapping risks. Foreign residents’ children may be drawn into NVE environments that operate in English and other major languages. Internationals working in Danish schools, youth centers, or tech companies may have to respond to behavior or threats rooted in subcultures they have never heard of, with limited English language guidance from Danish authorities.
From cybercrime to terrorism
Since spring 2025, Europol and several Nordic police forces have quietly reclassified parts of “The Com/764” activity from online harassment and cybercrime into terrorism related offenses. Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany have laid terrorism law charges in related cases. PET’s Center for Terroranalyse published its first dedicated Danish assessment in November 2025.
The Swedish “Maniac Murder Cult” case in June 2026 saw a 20 year old convicted under a terrorism provision previously used almost exclusively for Islamic State cases. That conviction followed a 2024 knife attack by a 14 year old linked to “764” that was livestreamed from a Stockholm suburb. Between those two incidents, Swedish prosecutors issued internal guidance in late 2025 treating certain NVE offenses as pre terrorism where remote coercers have intent to create fear beyond the immediate victim.
Denmark catches up
PET’s November 2025 report explicitly warns that online extremist environments not anchored in traditional ideologies are an emerging threat. It notes that law enforcement struggles to distinguish genuine attack planning from boundary pushing online culture. The Hadsten case fits a pattern seen abroad: very young suspects, coordination via mainstream platforms, and alleged motives aligned with the general terror paragraph wording.
Europol’s coordinated NVE action in early 2024 targeted 159 online accounts and channels across nine European countries. The operation focused on “The Com” and affiliates distributing violent content and remote coercion instructions. At least 30 individuals across the nine participating countries were identified as administrators or core members. Several minors were among those targeted for preventive interventions rather than arrest.
Criminalization versus rehabilitation
Supporters of treating NVE as a terrorism related threat argue that intent and impact, not ideology, should drive legal classification. Europol and several national prosecutors note that livestreamed attacks and remote coerced violence can terrorize communities and pressure authorities in ways comparable to traditional terror groups. Child protection advocates stress that minors recruited via gaming platforms are particularly vulnerable. Strong public framing as extremism is necessary to mobilize resources for prevention, deradicalization, and parental awareness.
Civil liberties groups and some youth psychologists warn that broad terrorism framing risks criminalizing transgressive youth culture and dark humor. They argue that treating young, often troubled teens as terrorists may entrench alienation and make rehabilitation harder, especially when many participants lack deep ideological commitment. Tech policy experts also caution against overboard calls to block or surveil platforms like Discord and Telegram, which are widely used by ordinary users and internationals in Denmark.
What parents can do
International families worried about extremist online environments have access to both Danish and English language guidance, but most of it is scattered across PET, municipal services, and NGOs. PET’s 2025 report urges early, non criminal interventions for youths showing signs of involvement in extremist online groups. It emphasizes conversations at home and at school, and referral to municipal youth services rather than immediate police action in borderline cases.
The first practical step is usually to contact the local municipality’s integration or newcomer service or International Citizen Service. These can refer families to youth counseling, school psychologists, and PET’s preventive outreach programs. Parents who suspect their child is involved in harmful online networks should document concerning content, avoid confronting organizers themselves, and talk to school staff or municipal social workers. All municipalities are required to have social services duty officers and child protection procedures.
NGOs such as Red Barnet and Børns Vilkår operate helplines and online safety resources. While primarily in Danish, they increasingly offer English materials and phone support to parents who do not speak Danish. International schools and universities in Denmark often have their own digital safety policies. Internationals working in education should check institutional guidelines on dealing with threats or extremist content and how to liaise with police.
