Several schools cancel classes over fake bomb threats

Schools and kindergartens across Slovenia received e-mail threats of a potential use of explosives. The police have assessed the threat as low-risk, but several schools have cancelled classes for the day, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Some 229 primary and secondary schools have received the threats according to information this far, Primož Ogrinc, head of the terrorism and extreme violence department at the General Police Administration, told reporters.

He assured the public that schools are safe. They received a generic message similar to ones recorded in some other countries in recent weeks where the threats passed off without consequences.

Police secured school premises and vacated them in agreement with the school managements. "We will always do everything we can to protect children, because of course they come first," Ogrinc said.

While in some schools students and staff returned to class after the initial scare, others have sent kids home and expect to resume classes on 28 January.

Mojca Mihelič, the head of the Head Teachers' Association, said almost all schools received what appears to be an AI-generated hoax threat. "The first message was sent at 5am and by 8am all schools had received it."

Schools respond in different ways

Some parents have told the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) that headteachers informed them about the threat and that after the police inspected the schools everything went back to normal.

Nuška Gajšek, mayor of Ptuj, said that schools in this northeastern municipality received an e-mail threat about a possible use of explosive devices.

"The police and fire brigades are on the ground, taking all necessary measures to ensure security and inspecting the area. The situation is under control and all relevant institutions will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of children and adolescents," she said in a statement.

One primary schools from Novo Mesto told the STA that all pupils and staff had been evacuated and the school was inspected by "police technicians".

Aleš Tuhtar, headteacher at the Sevnica Primary School, said they acted fast when there were not that many pupils in school yet, sending buses with some 350 pupils home while notifying the parents. "All pupils were at home in half an hour," he told the STA.

"We didn't want to cause panic among the children, and information exchange was exemplary. I immediately received a phone call from the mayor, and the director of the community health centre offered the help of a psychologist," he said. He expects classes to resume tomorrow.

New protocol applied

The Education Ministry said that a special protocol to notify relevant stakeholders and take action in case of threats was activated immediately at primary and secondary schools.

The protocol determines the course of action in the event of security threats aimed at schools was put in place in June 2024, two months after an anonymous online threat led to panic in schools due to what was widely condemned as an overreaction by the authorities.

An investigation under Article 314 of the Criminal Code, which makes causing general danger a criminal offence, is ongoing.