German police have launched an investigation into a disturbing Jew-hate incident after a group of teenagers allegedly fired at gravestones in a historic Jewish cemetery over the weekend. All of the suspects, including a 15-year-old boy, were detained and questioned before being released without charges.
According to German police, officers were called Saturday evening to the Jewish cemetery in Langenselbold, in the state of Hesse, after a local witness reported seeing a group of youths shooting at graves. The cemetery is designated as a protected historical site.
One of the suspects, a 15-year-old, fled on foot when police arrived but was located a short time later nearby. Police said the weapon used in the incident was not recovered. A subsequent inspection of the cemetery found damage to a single gravestone, estimated at approximately €500.
Police said they have found no evidence of a political, far-right, or other ideological motive and described the incident as “a bad joke.” The suspects were released while the investigation remains ongoing.
The incident comes amid growing concern over rising displays of Jew-hatred in Germany, particularly in the state of Hesse. The Hesse Research and Information Center on Antisemitism has reported a significant increase in documented antisemitic incidents in the region. Just last year, authorities also reported an attempted desecration of at least 21 additional graves at the same cemetery.
For many German Jews, the greater concern may not be the damaged gravestones themselves, but whether attacks on Jewish sites are still being treated with the seriousness they demand.