Authorities across three European nations have launched investigations following multiple reports of dangerous objects deliberately inserted into candy distributed during Halloween celebrations.
In Germany, police departments spanning several states from Bavaria to Lower Saxony have documented numerous incidents. A 9-year-old girl sustained a tongue injury in Bremervörde after consuming chocolate containing a 5-centimeter pin. Bavaria alone has reported approximately 25 cases involving sweets contaminated with needles, screws, or nails. Investigators in the Middle Franconia region cautioned about potential copycat incidents after discovering that in one case, a child had actually placed a needle in their own chocolate bar.
Hungarian authorities have opened a criminal investigation following discoveries of nails, screws, and wire fragments in candies given to trick-or-treating children near Gyömrő, east of Budapest. One incident involved a young girl who received a toffee with a nail inside its wrapper but noticed the contamination before consuming it. Police indicated that a child had suffered minor injuries in connection with the incidents.
Austrian officials have also documented multiple cases across four states. A 10-year-old girl experienced a minor mouth injury after biting into contaminated chocolate in the Amstetten area. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner characterized the incidents as “cowardly, malicious and in some cases life-threatening.” Lower Austria Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner emphasized that perpetrators would face serious legal consequences and stressed the importance of protecting children’s safety.
Bavarian police noted that while comparable cases had occurred in previous years, data from this year indicated a notable rise in reported incidents. Authorities across all three countries have advised parents to inspect their children’s Halloween candy before consumption.
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