Needles and sharp metal objects found inside Halloween candy in Europe

Several Central European countries have launched investigations following the discovery of sharp metal objects inside candy that children collected during Halloween.

This celebration of Anglo-Saxon origin became popular in Europe thanks to movies, American television series, and commerce. Currently, many children dress up and go around their neighborhood houses to ask for candy.

In Austria, "some candies were tampered with using sharp metal objects," police reported in a statement on Wednesday.

They specified that, for the moment, the investigations "do not allow for establishing a connection between the reported cases."

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner condemned these acts, calling them "cowardly and treacherous."

So far, 17 cases have been recorded in several regions, though it is not ruled out that the number may increase, as many parents are checking their children's candy following recommendations from authorities.

Austrian police issued a "call for calm" to avoid panic, but recommended that families consult a doctor "in case of suspected ingestion of a foreign object."

In Poland, the police also opened an investigation following a similar discovery made by four children in the Pomerania region, in the north of the country.

In Hungary, authorities issued a call for witnesses on Monday to identify a person who allegedly hid sharp metal objects in candy during an event in two towns on the outskirts of Budapest.

In Germany, authorities had already reported this week on several cases of small metal objects found in treats collected during Halloween.

"It has not yet been determined whether there is any connection between the various cases recorded in these countries," the Austrian police indicated.