Police across Germany are investigating multiple reports of needles, nails and other sharp metal objects being found in Halloween sweets collected by children. Authorities are asking parents to check the candy carefully before allowing it to be eaten.
In Essen, two families found needles in chocolate bars and a bag of gummy sweets collected by their children at door-to-door Halloween visits. The families lived in different parts of the city, and no one was injured, according to police.
Further cases were reported in several other locations. In Schönberg, near Lübeck, needles were found in chocolate bars. In Holm, parents discovered nails in chewy sweets, including one measuring 3.5 centimetres. Police are investigating the case on suspicion of attempted aggravated bodily harm.
On the island of Fehmarn, an 11-year-old girl found a three-centimetre sewing needle inside a damaged chocolate bar. In Umpferstedt near Weimar, children aged 11 and 12 found staples in chewy sweets. They were also unharmed, and it was not immediately clear where the candy had come from.
Police in Hanover said an unknown person had distributed sweets containing needles to children in the Misburg-Nord district. Similar reports were also made in several Bavarian towns, including Landshut, Adlkofen, Vilshofen an der Donau, Nuremberg, Obernburg am Main and Neuburg an der Donau. The reported objects included screws, nails and needles.
Authorities had previously reported comparable incidents in other parts of Germany, including Eichsfeld, Herbsleben and Hanover. Metal objects were also found in Halloween sweets collected by children in several locations in Austria.
Police recommend checking all collected sweets for puncture marks, damaged packaging and other irregularities. They also warn that even apparently intact packaging should be examined carefully. Anyone who finds suspicious candy should not eat it, should keep it with its packaging and should contact the police.
Sources: Tagesschau.