Danish online sadism networks linked to violence now under heightened PET surveillance

A network of online communities centered on nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) has expanded into Denmark, with members coercing vulnerable individuals—primarily young women—into self-harm, sexual humiliation, and in extreme cases, suicide, according to a new report by the anti-extremism think tank ICDE and Darksight Analytics.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) has elevated its monitoring of these groups, citing their growing prominence in its latest threat assessment. PET’s Center for Terror Analysis (CTA) notes that perpetrators in recent cases have been tied to “violence-glorifying online cultures,” including NVE networks, school attack ideation, and incel communities.

Researcher Valdemar Balle, whose firm Darksight Analytics tracked over 450 NVE-linked chats, confirmed Danish participation in the networks. “There are Danes active in these groups, some in high-ranking positions,” he stated. While DR has not verified the underlying data, Balle’s team claims to have identified at least one Danish victim. Danish police are investigating one related case.

The groups—including “The Com” and “764”—operate as decentralized internet cults where members, often minors themselves, pressure peers into extreme acts. Self-inflicted injuries (“bloodsigns”), animal torture, and live-streamed violence are common, with some chats explicitly demanding proof of knife attacks or arson as initiation. Swedish and Norwegian authorities have linked NVE-affiliated individuals to multiple stabbing attacks, including a 14-year-old’s live-streamed assault on an 80-year-old man in 2024.

Unlike traditional extremist ideologies, NVE lacks a cohesive belief system. “Their unifying trait is a deep hatred of society and others,” Balle explained. “They don’t advocate for change—they glorify destruction.” The report highlights repeated praise for mass shootings and encouragement to replicate them.

Norwegian prosecutors have opened 65 cases tied to NVE groups, involving 26 individuals. In the U.S., several school shootings have been connected to the networks.