German police are searching for a “bad
Santa” who has poisoned several visitors at Christmas markets around Berlin.
The man struck twice last Thursday (Dec 8th)
first at the Charlottenburg market, offering passers-by a “free” drink of
schnapps to celebrate the birth of his child. Two foreign tourists, a
26-year-old Italian man and a 24-year-old Slovakian man, who accepted the drink
fell seriously ill, vomiting and suffering seizures. The Slovakin visitor needed
treatment in hospital after becoming unconscious.
Later that same evening the man repeated the
‘free’ drink offer at the market at Der Tagesspiegel market in the Mitte
district. This time three women in their 20’s were targeted and became very
ill. They too suffered vomiting, seizures and loss of consciousness.
Bad "Santa"
But the drink-spiker earned the “bad Santa”
moniker after his third attack at the market at Alexanderplatz on Saturday December 10th.
This time he was dressed as Santa and offered his concoction to a 15 year old
girl. She too suffered vomiting and short-term memory loss.
Berlin police believe the man is lacing his
drinks with “knock-out drops” without specifying what substance is used. The
term ‘knock-out drops’ is commonly associated with a tranquiliser used in
veterinary surgery, and used to immobilise victims who are then robbed or assaulted.
However, the bad "Santa" has shown no attempt to rob or assault his victims, and his motivation is unclear.
Police describe him as in his mid-40’s, 1.8 meters tall with dark blond hair.
Beware All Drinks
Sadly, drink spiking is a growing problem throughout
the world, and tourists are often targeted.
Whether you’re in a bar, nightclub or
walking around a Christmas market, you should be wary of accepting drinks from
strangers or new acquaintances. (Not sure 15 year olds should be drinking
schnapps, either).
I Need Help!
If you believe you have been poisoned or had your drink spiked you should seek immediate medical attention. The emergency services number in Germany is the pan-European number 112, which can be dialled from any device (landline or cell).
You can also call the EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE number that comes with your travel insurance policy and speak to an operator in your own language.
Please have your name, location and phone number ready when you call (and policy number if available).
Click here for a list of 24 hour emergency assistance hotline numbers.
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