Crime - Number of irritant gas attacks in Saxony's schools down slightly
The number of registered gas attacks with pepper spray in Saxony's schools has slightly decreased in the past year. Two gas attacks were reported at schools, one fewer than in the year 2022. The Saxon Interior Ministry shared this information with the German Press Agency in response to an inquiry. The two incidents are evaluated by investigators as bodily harm. Fifteen students and three teachers were injured in the two attacks.
The number of injured from the three gas attacks in the year 2022 was significantly higher. The Interior Ministry recorded 54 injured students and five injured teaching staff. Since 2015, there have been a total of ten incidents involving "gas/irritant/effect agent ammunition" in schools in the Free State. In the years 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021, no such incidents were reported.
So far in the current year, there have been two gas attacks at schools in Saxony. In March, unknown individuals sprayed a irritant substance at a school in Dresden. Several children were injured in the incident. The police launched investigations on suspicion of dangerous bodily harm. An similar incident occurred in February at a school in the Landkreis Zwickau. The number of incidents is likely higher, as reports from the fire department and rescue services are not mentioned, and not every incident is reported.
The smallest spray cans are legally sold in online shops, outdoor and camping retailers, drugstores, pharmacies, and hardware stores. As a condition, the sprays must be labeled as animal repellent sprays. Then, they can be bought by children and adolescents. With this labeling, pepper spray falls outside the scope of the Weapons Act.
The decrease in pepper spray gas attacks in Saxony's schools is a positive development, considering the serious bodily injuries they can cause. The incident in Dresden, involving the use of an irritant substance, highlighted the need for stricter regulations on the sale of pepper spray. The Saxony Ministry of the Interior is urging retailers to be more vigilant in selling pepper spray, as its misuse in schools leads to crime. The German Press Agency has been reporting on the increasing concern among teachers over the use of pepper spray in schools, calling for measures to ensure student safety.
