Since at least June 2025, Martin S has called for attacks on named politicians, public officials and public figures in Germany on the darknet, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement. To this end, he anonymously operates a platform on which he publishes, among other things, lists of names, death sentences pronounced by himself and instructions for building explosive devices. He also solicits donations in cryptocurrency, which are then offered as bounties' for the killing of the targeted individuals.
The criminals began posting profiles of the children to their website last Thursday, adding another 10 children days later and vowing to continue until Kido Schools paid a ransom in Bitcoin. The criminals also contacted parents directly with threatening phone calls whilst trying to get their ransom paid. But public revulsion at their attack appears to have forced the criminals to backtrack.