German police are investigating a growing number of reports of needles, nails, screws, and other metal objects deliberately concealed inside Halloween candy distributed to children during trick-or-treating on October 31. Authorities across the country have urged parents to carefully inspect their children's collected sweets after several children encountered dangerous objects, including one nine-year-old girl who suffered an injury to her tongue.

The incidents have been reported in multiple regions, with police investigating possible cases of attempted assault. Although several children discovered the objects before swallowing them, the incidents have raised concerns about the safety of Halloween treats and whether additional tampered candy may still be circulating.

In the Munich area, a nine-year-old boy bit into a chewy candy containing a needle but immediately spat it out and escaped injury, according to police. Another incident occurred in Bremervörde, in northern Germany, where a nine-year-old girl injured her tongue after biting into a chocolate bar containing a pin measuring at least five centimeters long.

On the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, an 11-year-old girl discovered a sewing needle approximately three centimeters long inside a chocolate bar she had collected while trick-or-treating. Police in Schleswig-Holstein opened an investigation and appealed to residents in the area to turn over suspicious candy so investigators could examine possible evidence. Authorities also asked families who collected treats near the streets where the girl had been trick-or-treating to check their children's candy.

In Umpferstedt, near the central German city of Weimar, two children, ages 11 and 12, discovered metal staples concealed inside chewy candies. Neither child was injured. Police said investigators had not yet determined where the tampered sweets originated.

Additional cases have been reported in other parts of the country. Police in Hannover investigated after a nine-year-old girl found needles in three separate treats, including a chocolate bar and two chewy candies. Reports also emerged from Bremen and Salzgitter, where parents discovered nails or needles inside chocolate bars. In Essen, two families reported finding needles in chocolate bars and a bag of gummy candy collected by their children.

Investigators have not identified suspects in the reported cases, and authorities have not established whether the incidents are connected or where the candy was tampered with. Police are examining whether the objects were inserted before the sweets were distributed or whether individual treats were altered afterward. The investigations include suspected attempted serious bodily injury and other serious offenses.

German authorities are urging parents to inspect Halloween candy before allowing children to eat it. Police recommend checking packaging for punctures, tears, or other signs of tampering, as well as examining the candy itself for unusual objects or damage. Even individually wrapped treats should be inspected carefully.

Anyone who discovers a suspicious item should avoid eating it, preserve the candy and its packaging, and contact local police rather than throwing it away. Investigators are asking families to report potential evidence so they can determine where the contaminated treats came from and identify those responsible.

Halloween has become increasingly popular in Germany since the 1990s, with American films, television programs, advertising and costume parties helping spread the tradition. The latest incidents have prompted warnings as police continue investigating reports from communities across the country.