Sharp objects found in Halloween sweets in three European nations

What the report says

Police in Germany, Austria and Hungary are investigating multiple reports of sharp metal objects found in Halloween sweets handed out to children, according to BBC World News. The incidents have prompted warnings to parents to check candy before it is eaten, while authorities in Hungary have opened a criminal inquiry.

In Germany, police said cases have been reported across several states, including Bavaria and Lower Saxony. One cited case involved a nine-year-old girl in Bremervörde, west of Hamburg, who hurt her tongue after biting into a chocolate bar that contained a pin. German police also said they had received reports of sweets containing needles, screws or nails, with Bavaria appearing to account for many of the complaints.

In Austria, police said investigations were under way in four states after similar discoveries in Halloween treats. The BBC reported one case in the Amstetten area, east of Linz, where a 10-year-old girl suffered a minor mouth injury after biting into a small chocolate bar with a metal object inside. Austria’s interior minister condemned the incidents as malicious and potentially life-threatening.

In Hungary, police said nails, screws and wire were found in sweets given to children near Gyömrő, east of Budapest. Local officials said one girl found a nail concealed in a wrapped sweet before swallowing it. The BBC said the reports have raised concern about possible copycat actions and the broader risk to children during seasonal trick-or-treating.