Swedish teen charged in landmark case over online coercion into self-harm

A Swedish prosecutor has filed 77 charges, including three counts of attempted murder, against an 18-year-old man from Umeå accused of coercing victims into severe self-harm via an extremist online network, SVT Nyheter reports. The case marks the first time a Swedish court will rule on whether remote coercion into self-injury can constitute attempted murder or aggravated assault when the perpetrator never physically harms the victim.

The defendant, who used the alias “Chai,” allegedly pressured at least three children into self-harm and convinced a man in Germany to nearly strangle himself to death. He is also charged with incitement to suicide and rape, though he denies all allegations. The investigation involved authorities in three countries, including the U.S. FBI, which provided chat logs as evidence.

The teen is linked to the extremist “Com” network (also known as 764), whose members groom vulnerable youth into sharing explicit images, then blackmail them into self-harm—often filming the acts for propaganda. Prosecutor Jenny Östling called the case a “pilot trial,” noting Swedish courts have previously convicted distant perpetrators of rape when victims were forced into self-directed sexual acts. “Now we’re testing whether the same logic applies to violent acts,” she said.

The defendant’s lawyer told SVT his client denies all charges. A verdict could set a precedent for digital coercion cases in Sweden.