German authorities have reported several cases of Halloween sweets containing hidden nails, including one just 20km from the Luxembourg border. Luxembourg police say no such incidents have been recorded in the Grand Duchy so far.
The case in the Greater Region came to light on Tuesday, after the police directorate in Wittlich issued a warning late on Monday urging people to beware of foreign objects in sweets. Input-Presse, a German press agency that partners with RTL, described it the following day as an outrageous act and an attack on children’s safety.
The discovery was made in Lünebach, a village in the Eifel. On Saturday evening, two 10-year-old girls went trick-or-treating in their neighbourhood.
Two days later, one of the girls was about to eat a piece of chocolate from her haul when she found a nail around 5cm long hidden inside. It was discovered before she ate the chocolate. The culprit has not been identified.
The case was reported to police in Prüm on Tuesday, with officers describing it as a "truly shocking incident connected to Halloween".
Prüm police say similar reports have emerged in several German federal states. In Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, Halloween sweets were also reported to contain foreign objects. Police urge parents and children to examine all treats closely before eating them, checking for small holes in packaging or other signs of tampering.
The person responsible for the Lünebach incident has not been identified, and police have appealed for witnesses. Anyone with information can contact Prüm police by phone on +49 6551-942-0 or by email at pipruem@polizei.rlp.de.
Luxembourg police told RTL that no such cases have been reported in the Grand Duchy so far. They advise anyone who finds something unusual or suspicious in Halloween treats to report it to the police immediately.
Halloween night kept Luxembourg police busy in other ways. As in previous years, they received numerous calls from residents disturbed by Halloween parties and other events. Similar complaints are common on other festive occasions, such as National Day and New Year’s Eve.
