German Police Investigate Teen Suspects Over School Threat Emails

DUISBURG, Germany – German police are investigating four teenagers in connection with threatening emails that led to the closure of multiple schools in Duisburg last week. The emails, which contained racist threats and right-wing extremist content, prompted a large-scale police response and disrupted education for thousands of students.

The investigation began after an email forced the Max Planck secondary school in Duisburg to cancel classes Thursday. Authorities quickly identified a 15-year-old from Berlin as the primary suspect believed to have sent the email. Subsequent investigations led to three additional suspects, aged 16 and 17, residing in Duisburg.

Police searched the Berlin suspect's home and phone, which led to the identification of the three teens from Duisburg. The exact involvement of the Duisburg teens remains unclear, but German news agency dpa reported that police suspect they intended to prevent an exam from taking place at their school.

The closures affected approximately 20 high schools in Duisburg on Monday, April 7, impacting nearly 18,000 students. The disruption forced the cancellation of in-person teaching and raised concerns among parents and school officials. Police are currently investigating whether the four suspects are also linked to the initial emails sent over the weekend that triggered the widespread school closures.

Herbert Reul, the Interior Minister of North-Rhine Westphalia, praised the police for their swift action. "The police have pulled out all the stops in no time at all and used all the technical means at their disposal to determine the backgrounds of the suspects of the Duisburg threatening emails," Reul said. "Such threatening emails are not a trivial matter."

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the full extent of the suspects' involvement and any potential connections to other threatening letters. The incident highlights the increasing concern over extremist ideologies and their potential impact on educational institutions.