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False alarm: missing person case in Celle turns out to be fake news!
False missing person report from Celle causes confusion: Police confirm that there is no such case and are clarifying the matter.
False alarm: missing person case in Celle turns out to be fake news!
In the past few days, a fictional missing person case from Lower Saxony has spread like wildfire across social networks. The case has heated up emotions, especially at Christmas, a time when many people come together. Reports from dpa fact checking According to reports, on Christmas Eve there was a report about the police in Celle, who were allegedly looking for a ten-year-old student named “Lina Hoffmann”. However, this article, which raised more than a few questions, quickly turned out to be a hoax. At the request of the German Press Agency on December 29, 2025, the Celle police made it clear that the case did not exist.
The approach was not what you would expect from reputable media. The design of the article on the website in question appeared unprofessional: different fonts, a missing call for witnesses with police contact details and images that come from a different context - a tragic incident in Forstenrieder Park in Munich. Such fake reports of missing children are not new and seem to be persistent on the Internet.
Missing people in Germany
Currently in Germany, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) reported almost 10,000 people missing. Excitingly, about 70 percent of these people are men or boys. However, particular attention is being paid to the 1,845 missing children under the age of 13 and another 3,458 young people between the ages of 14 and 17. The police carry out around 200 to 300 new searches every day and the situation often clears up quickly - around half of the cases within the first week. However, there are also sad exceptions: around three percent of the missing people have disappeared for more than a year.
In Lower Saxony, for example, an autistic boy from near Bremervörde is missing. The boy has been missing for over two weeks and a week-long large-scale search involved hundreds of emergency responders and volunteers. Although that search has been discontinued, a team of investigators continues to work on the case.
Security situation in Celle
The Celle police station has also published the police crime statistics (PKS) for 2024, which show impressive figures. According to a report by Press portal There were 12,277 registered crimes last year, an increase of 5.46 percent. The clearance rate of over 69 percent is well above the state average in Lower Saxony. Young people in particular are affected, with an increase in the number of suspects identified by 4.86 percent.
Domestic violence is of particular concern, with an increase of 169 cases and 975 penalties. There was also a slight increase in violent crimes against police officers. The Celle police take their responsibility seriously and have emphasized the need to reduce the number of cases in order to ensure safety in the region.
The connections between real and fake missing person cases underscore the complex situation facing the police and society. While many cases are cleared up quickly, remaining vigilant and debunking false reports is more important than ever.