Katrin De Boll, the executive director of Europol, stated that modern criminal groups manipulate children, using them to commit serious crimes. “These are not just minor offenses; these are major criminal acts,” she noted in an interview with POLITICO and Welt.
De Boll also cited a case where a boy was instructed to kill his younger sister, which he did. “This is extremely cruel; we have never encountered anything like this,” she added. Furthermore, she pointed out that some states and individuals may use youth as spies to gather information in government institutions.
Europol recorded 105 cases where minors were involved in violent actions, including 10 contract killings. Many of these crimes do not achieve their goals due to the inexperience of the children.
