Brown children’s room: This is how star and RTL researched

The research began in autumn 2024 with the question of what right -wing extremists can see children and adolescents on their cell phone. On platforms such as Tikkok, Snapchat and Instagram, on which the AfD and many right groups are very active. As it quickly turned out: a lot. Cookies in a swastika form. Jokes about gloomy Jews. Hitler greetings. Soon a reporter team from star and RTL, camouflaged, invitations in closed chat groups. Many who wrote there and posted videos were boys and girls of teenage, some maybe 12 or 13.

The reporters wanted to find out: is the pubescent behavior – or do the young people mean what they say? And if: How far are you ready to go for it? Three months later, the team had access to the closed chats of several groups. And had introduced a hidden reporter into two right -wing groups, disguised as a comrade. Among other things, she experienced how a man of 21 years with at least one comrade from a group called “last wave of defense” presumably planned an arson attack on refugee accommodation. And also, as he bought two ball bombs with great explosive power in the Czech Republic.

In addition, the team met with videos and chats, which presumably show serious arson and an attempted serious arson. In the course of the research, there were concrete indications that members of the Chatgruppe LVW, short for “last wave of defense”, were involved in the deeds documented on the videos. A knowledge that the security authorities apparently did not have until the reporter team’s inquiries.

The most delicate point of the research was the purchase of the ball bombs in the Czech Republic. Journalists don’t usually work with the police or public prosecutors; This is basically not your job. But when it comes to preparing a crime, the matter becomes more complicated. Where journalists know from a possible danger to third parties or concrete dangers – such as an attack – ends their role as a pure observer of reality. You are then obliged to pass on your information on certain criminal offenses to the penalty investment authorities at an early stage. Like every citizen. Otherwise they may be punishable.

This is exactly what happened in this research. A note from the reporter team led to a raid in a 21 -year -old man from Saxony, called Justin Schmidt in the text. A little later, his case and the stop plan became known nationwide.