Early on a Sunday evening in March 2025, Anneli Berg said goodbye to her 16-year-old son, Rio, as he left for the gym with friends in Stockholm, Sweden. Tragically, Rio was shot and killed later that night by a hooded assailant who opened fire on the group outside the gym. Investigators revealed that the shooter was a teenage boy recruited by criminal gangs, marking Rio’s death as part of a disturbing trend in which minors are being groomed online for violent acts. This phenomenon, referred to as “violence as a service,” has alarmed law enforcement officials across Western Europe, who report a significant increase in such incidents. Europol has since formed a task force to combat this issue, leading to numerous arrests and the identification of thousands of online accounts linked to organized crime targeting youth.
Why It Matters
The rise of violence as a service highlights a critical public safety issue as criminal networks increasingly exploit digital platforms to recruit minors for violent crimes. Reports indicate that since 2025, at least ten contract killings involving minors have occurred in Western Europe, mostly orchestrated by narcotics gangs. The trend is worrying due to the rapid growth of online criminal activities, with Europol identifying over 15,000 accounts related to violence as a service. This recruitment strategy poses significant risks to young people, who may become both perpetrators and victims in this cycle of violence.
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