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A wave of uncertainty and unease swept over the German city of Duisburg on Monday when all secondary and comprehensive schools were suddenly closed after a string of threatening letters with right-wing extremist language. The action, which officials termed as a “precautionary measure,” impacted close to 18,000 students and generated heated debates on safety, school safety, and increasing extremism.
What Triggered the Closures?
The alert was issued late last week when a comprehensive school in Duisburg was sent a threatening letter on Friday, April 4. The threatening letter, from an unknown writer, promised unspecified criminal activity on Monday. While initial evaluations rated the threat not as being outright credible, the second letter arrived on Sunday increasing anxiety, covering at least 13 other schools.
Both the letters were infused with extreme right-wing ideology, and immediate action was taken by the Duisburg Police and state officials. As officials probe further into the validity and source of the letters, the threat was serious enough to justify instant closures.
A total of 15 comprehensive schools and two secondary schools cancelled face-to-face schooling for the day. Distance schooling was quickly rolled out through digital platforms like IServ, providing continuity of schooling despite heightened anxiety. A few grammar schools stayed open, though parents were informed about being able to keep their kids at home. St. Hildegardis-Gymnasium went for online learning in view of the threats.
Despite the fact that the gravity of the offenses as announced was not confirmed, we could not leave anything to chance when children are at stake,” a spokesperson at the Duisburg police headquarters told the press.
Police deployed
In order to soothe the nerves and reduce lingering risk, police patrols were stationed on school grounds. Some parents and pupils, however, felt uneasy, especially in places where grammar schools are located within close proximity to the targeted schools.
The District Student Council echoed this concern. “We’ve received countless messages from worried families,” said Florim Iseini, the student council spokesperson. “We urge authorities to extend the same caution to all school types to avoid confusion and ensure safety.”
T0he State Security Service of Duisburg has conducted the investigation, trying to find out who sent the letter and whether there are any connections to previous incidents. Only weeks before, identical amok threats were found at two Duisburg grammar schools, where three schoolgirls were ultimately named as suspects. It is not known whether the threats now are connected.
