Police close schools in Duisburg after far-right threats
Der Western
revealed.
According to media reports, this will affect all comprehensive and secondary schools in the city, as well as one
Gymnasium
. Some of the schools will instead hold lessons online.
According to
a police statement
released on Sunday evening, the management of a comprehensive school in central Duisburg (
Gesamtschule Mitte
) received a letter on Friday "containing threatening and right-wing extremist statements".
The letter, which was from a previously unknown sender, pledged that criminal offences targeting the school would be carried out on Monday.
On Sunday, the school received a second letter announcing further threats - this time in connection with both
Gesamtschule Mitte
and 13 other schools in the city.
Though police said they doubted the "seriousness" of the threats, the closures are to "minimise any possible residual risk", the statement read.
During the closures, Duisburg police will carry out awareness-raising measures at each of the affected schools.
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It is so far unclear who sent the letters, but police say they have been investigating the incidents since Friday.
"Any threat of this kind constitutes an initial suspicion of disturbing the public peace by threatening criminal offences and will be systematically investigated and prosecuted," they said.
Some schools remain open
According to WDR, most grammar schools (
Gymnasien
), primary schools and technical secondary schools (
Realschulen
) will still be holding in-person lessons on Monday.
However, some have decided to make attendance optional, while others are offering remote lessons online.
The threats sent over the weekend are the second such incident to affect Duisburg schools in recent weeks.
READ ALSO:
Which types of crime are rising and falling in Germany?
On March 24th and 25th, attacks were threatened at the Steinbart Gymnasium in Duisburg's Dellviertel. Shortly afterwards, terror threats were found in the school toilets at St Hildegardis Grammar School on the same street.
As of Monday morning, it was unclear if schools were set to reopen on Tuesday. Parents have been advised to check their schools' websites regularly for further updates.
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