Alarm in Hochsauerlandkreis: Men talk to children – police are investigating!

Alarm in Hochsauerlandkreis: Men talk to children – police are investigating!

The topics of child protection and safety are currently very topical in the Hochsauerland district. There have recently been disturbing incidents in the cities of Sundern and Arnsberg in which children between the ages of six and 13 were approached by unknown adult men. In two out of three cases, the children were offered sweets, prompting concerned parents to various discussions on social media. The police responded immediately and emphasized that they were taking the parents' concerns very seriously. An official statement makes it clear that there is currently no concrete evidence of any danger to the children, but that public safety remains the top priority. For this reason, police presence will be increased in the affected areas and civilian emergency services will be deployed to provide support. Parents are asked to immediately report suspicious observations and inform their children about proper behavior. The initiative is not only intended to provide acute security, but also to create a good feeling for the parents. Honne newspaper reports that the police are carefully considering each individual case and are closely monitoring the situation.

Another important step in child protection was taken on November 24th with the signing of a cooperation agreement between the youth welfare offices of the cities of Arnsberg, Sundern, Schmallenberg and the Hochsauerlandkreis as well as the police. The signatories of this agreement are Mayor Ralf Paul Bittner (Arnsberg), Klaus-Rainer Willeke (Sundern), Burkhard König (Schmallenberg), District Administrator Dr. Karl Schneider and police director Klaus Bunse. This agreement is intended to strengthen cooperation between youth welfare offices and the police and to optimize the exchange of information in order to minimize information deficits. The focus is on preventing child endangerment and dealing with cases involving sexual and domestic violence. The participating institutions have agreed to hold regular meetings to exchange information and increase the quality of their cooperation. Particular emphasis is placed on the clear separation of areas of responsibility so that each partner consistently fulfills their role within the cooperation. Hochsauerlandkreis.de emphasizes that this is an important step towards greater safety for children and structured cooperation.

The legal framework

Looking at the legal framework for child protection, it is clear that the state has a clear responsibility. Since 2000, children in Germany have had the right to a non-violent education, and any form of physical punishment is prohibited. Article 6 of the Basic Law ensures that parents have the natural right to care and educate their children, but at the same time the state is obliged to protect them, especially in the event of danger. A well-known example is the protection mandate of child and youth welfare, which was specified in 2012. It states that if there are serious indications of danger, youth welfare offices must assess the risk together with other specialists. bpb.de provides figures that show that over 62,300 cases of child endangerment were documented in Germany in 2022 - the highest level since 2012. These figures illustrate the urgency and need for action in the area of ​​child protection.

The developments surrounding the incidents mentioned in Sundern and Arnsberg as well as the new cooperation agreement show that everyone involved has a very good hand in ensuring the safety of the children. It is now up to the entire community to be vigilant, to actively inform themselves and to act immediately if suspicions arise. Ultimately, protecting our little ones is a task that is everyone’s responsibility.