World · 2026-11-04 · Afternoon briefing
Police warn of sharp objects in Halloween sweets across central Europe
Police in Germany, Austria, and Hungary have issued warnings after sharp objects were found inside Halloween sweets. Incidents include a nine-year-old girl in Bremervörde, Germany, who injured her tongue on a 5cm-long pin hidden in a chocolate bar. In Austria, a ten-year-old girl sustained a minor mouth injury from a tampered sweet in the Amstetten area.
Hungarian authorities have opened a criminal investigation, while police in the German state of Bavaria report a significant increase in incidents compared to previous years, with as many as 25 cases involving needles, screws, or nails. Austria's Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, condemned the acts as "cowardly, malicious and in some cases life-threatening."
The situation is complicated by potential hoaxes. Police in Germany's Middle Franconia region are cautioning about copycat actions. The warning came after one mother reported finding a needle in her child's chocolate, only to later inform police that her child had admitted to putting it there themselves.
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- German police investigating after needles found in Halloween candy
- CCSD police warn of sharp rise in student e-bike and e-scooter crashes ahead of new school year
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