Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547002
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 OCTOBER 2026 FEATURE JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt From game chat to blackmail: How Police inspector in the Counter- terrorism Unit explains how violent online networks make contact with children, turn sensitive material into leverage and sometimes pressure victims into targeting someone else MALTA'S courts are hearing a case involving a 15-year-old boy suspected of links to violent on- line networks, where children are lured into causing harm to self and others. In June, the boy's lawyers sought an urgent order to end his isolation within Malta's juvenile prison system. Mag- istrate Yana Micallef Stafrace rejected the application, agree- ing with prosecutors that it was filed under the wrong Crimi- nal Code provision. The rul- ing addressed procedure, not the substance of his treatment complaints. The case captured attention because the boy's parents went public, claiming their son was subjected to inhuman and de- grading treatment. For them, what the boy did was the re- sult of youthful folly for which he was expected to pay. But for the police, what the boy did stemmed from something more sinister—violent online networks where children are preyed upon. Police Inspector Zachary Zammit of the Counter-ter- rorism Unit describes oth- er interventions that did not reach court, while saying local numbers were lower than those encountered by some overseas counterparts. Popular phrases, familiar influencers and whatever is trending at the time help peo- ple from violent online net- works attract children's atten- tion. Zammit explains how an ap- proach can begin with language children already recognise. "It often comes down to the way they speak, or perhaps they latch onto certain trends, like how it's considered 'cool' to mock the way others talk. That is their entry point; they keep a close eye on what is trending, being hyper-aware of current trends, and that is how they attract attention and the spotlight," he says. In one grooming pattern he outlines, contact begins inside a game. Someone gets to know a child, then tries to move the conversation to a more private platform, such as Telegram or Discord. There, they seek sen- sitive photographs or videos to use for blackmail. The demands can involve self-harm or suicide. They can then circulate recordings of harm within a group as proof, boosting the credibility of the person responsible. A photograph becomes leverage Asked what enables these approaches to happen within games, Zammit points to chat, particularly where moderation is weak. His concern is how children can be contacted and exploited through those con- versations, more than whether the game itself contains vio- lence. "I think chat is one of the biggest factors, more than the content of the game itself. That's why, in fact, I'm not say- ing games cause this," he says. Zammit says these networks target anyone, but children facing bullying, difficulties at home or other challenges may be especially receptive to their attention as they seek belong- ing online. Eating disorders are another vulnerability. Being reserved, he explains, is not necessarily a personality trait, but it may reflect what is happening in a child's life. Once someone has sensitive material, the demands can ex- tend beyond what the child must do on their own. The net- work may task them with ap- proaching another person and doing the same thing. "There's Police Inspector Zachary Zammit of the Counter-terrorism Unit 'I think chat is one of the biggest factors, more than the content of the game itself. That's why, in fact, I'm not saying games cause this,' he says