Bomb threats at schools in several federal states also alarmed many people on Tuesday and triggered police operations. Little by little, the first all-clear signals were given where the investigative authorities had even assumed that there was a threat. However, the situation puts a psychological strain on those affected. And: The authors are unknown and the background is unclear.
It is also unclear whether there is a connection between the individual cases. It could possibly be about weakening the population’s sense of security and stirring up discontent against Israel, security circles told the German Press Agency.
Threats in five federal states
By Tuesday afternoon, schools in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia and Saxony were affected. The police sometimes cleared the facilities as a precaution or turned away students and teachers before entering the buildings. There were searches to rule out any danger. In Erfurt, several students and a teacher received medical care – due to the psychologically stressful situation, said a police spokeswoman.
In Berlin, where the autumn holidays are currently taking place, there was a threat against the main train station, according to the Federal Police Directorate. The police have increased their forces there and checked the threat situation. Ultimately, it was not assumed that the travelers were at risk. According to the Berlin police, the broadcaster RTL and the federal headquarters of the SPD were also affected by threats. There was also a threat against the broadcasting center of “Antenne Thüringen”, “Landeswelle Thüringen” and “Radio Top40” in Weimar.
According to police, the threats came via email. In some cases the letters made references to the Islamist Hamas, and in one case to the Ukraine conflict.
A police spokesman said of the incidents at a school in Hollfeld, Upper Franconia, where there was the second threat in a few days on Tuesday: “There is a certain similarity.” It is still unclear whether the emails come from the same sender. The departments are still responsible for the investigation, but they are communicating closely, said a spokesman for the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office on Tuesday.
This threatens the perpetrators
In Germany, a bomb threat often falls under the criminal offense of disturbing the public peace by threatening to commit crimes (Section 126 of the Criminal Code (StGB)). This can lead to fines or even several years in prison.
In mid-October, a 41-year-old was sentenced to a fine of 2,000 euros for a bomb threat against the Krefeld branch of the Federal Employment Agency. The verdict is not yet legally binding. At the end of 2016, a man was sentenced to two years in prison without parole for making several bomb threats against a daycare center and a retirement home in Wolframs-Eschenbach, Bavaria.
