Needles and screws found in Halloween sweets across Germany, Austria and Hungary

Police in Germany, Austria and Hungary have warned parents after sharp metal objects — needles, screws and pieces of wire — were discovered inside sweets handed to children during Halloween trick-or-treating. Authorities in all three countries opened inquiries and urged families to check any treats before allowing children to eat them.

In northern Germany, a nine-year-old girl in Bremervörde bit into a chocolate bar and injured her tongue; a pin at least 5 centimetres long was later found inside the bar. Reports of contaminated sweets came from several German states, with police describing multiple similar finds after families inspected children’s Halloween haul. ([kreiszeitung-wochenblatt.de](https://www.kreiszeitung-wochenblatt.de/stade/c-blaulicht/stecknadel-im-schokoriegel-neunjaehrige-verletzt_a426346?utm_source=openai))

Hungarian police launched a criminal investigation after nails, screws and pieces of wire were reported in sweets given to children in and around the town of Gyömrő, east of Budapest. Local officials said one girl was handed a toffee with a nail inside the chocolate wrapper but noticed it in time and was not hurt. ([bbclatestnews.pages.dev](https://bbclatestnews.pages.dev/news/articles/cvglw7x239pwo?utm_source=openai))

In Austria several cases were reported across federal states and the interior ministry said investigators were working to identify the perpetrators. Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner condemned the incidents, calling them "cowardly, malicious and in some cases life‑threatening." Police in Austria said inquiries are under way in multiple states. ([orf.at](https://orf.at/stories/3446988/?utm_source=openai))

Authorities urge caution

Police services in the affected countries advised parents to inspect sweets carefully for puncture marks, damaged packaging or foreign objects, and to keep any suspicious items with their wrappers as evidence. Investigations remain ongoing and authorities asked anyone who noticed tampered treats to report them to their local police station. ([tageblatt.de](https://www.tageblatt.de/Lokales/Gefaehrliche-Halloween-Suessigkeiten-Polizei-raet-zur-Vorsicht-781424.html?utm_source=openai))

So far there have been no confirmed arrests linking the incidents across borders; investigators are treating the reports as deliberate tampering in many locations but have said they are exploring all possible explanations, including accidental contamination. Officials stressed that vigilance by parents helped prevent more serious injuries in several cases. ([tageblatt.de](https://www.tageblatt.de/Lokales/Gefaehrliche-Halloween-Suessigkeiten-Polizei-raet-zur-Vorsicht-781424.html?utm_source=openai))

Photo: press material from the event