Police across Germany, Austria and Hungary have issued urgent warnings to parents, urging them to inspect their children’s Halloween treats after discovering needles, nails, screws, and other sharp metal objects hidden inside sweets.
Incidents Across Germany and Austria
Law enforcement agencies in multiple German states have documented cases stretching from Bavaria in the south-east to Lower Saxony in the north. In the town of Bremervörde, located west of Hamburg, a nine-year-old girl injured her tongue while consuming a chocolate bar after biting into a 5cm-long (2in) pin embedded inside. Meanwhile, German police in Bavaria noted that while similar incidents occurred over the previous two years, initial figures indicate a notable rise this season, with approximately 25 cases reported involving sweets containing pins, screws, or nails.
Authorities in the Middle Franconia region of western Bavaria also highlighted the danger of copycat acts following a report from a mother who discovered a needle in her child’s chocolate bar. The mother later returned to authorities to clarify that her own child had confessed to putting the needle inside. Across the border in Austria, where investigations are active in four states, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner condemned the occurrences, describing them as cowardly, malicious, and potentially life-threatening. An Austrian child, a 10-year-old girl in the Amstetten area east of Linz, sustained a minor mouth injury after biting into a small chocolate bar.
Criminal Investigation in Hungary
Hungarian police initiated a criminal investigation after children participating in trick-or-treating near the town of Gyömrő, east of Budapest, received sweets laced with nails, screws, and pieces of wire. Local authorities confirmed that a young girl received a toffee containing a nail inside a chocolate wrapper, though she fortunately spotted it beforehand and avoided swallowing the item.
Lower Austria Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner demanded that those responsible face the full weight of the legal system, stating that children deserve a carefree childhood and that officials will maintain efforts to protect that environment. Police forces throughout the three nations continue their respective inquiries into the contaminated treats.
