Overview
- Interior Minister René Wilke said a dedicated police unit has handled 178 investigations since late June in Cottbus schools, including bodily injury, threats and coercion.
- Of 25 investigations tied to primary schools, 18 have been forwarded to the Cottbus prosecutor, and state and city leaders scheduled a Friday meeting to decide a coordinated package.
- Immediate steps include home risk warnings to families, securing school routes and deploying private security at some campuses, which authorities say are already reducing multiple offenders.
- A parents' letter from Regine-Hildebrandt-Grundschule detailing assaults requiring medical treatment helped trigger intensified policing and local safeguards.
- Official data show sharp increases in school violence from 2020 to 2024, while parties argue over tougher sanctions; local media report many suspects have migration backgrounds and one outlet cites a lower investigation count.