The Stendal Police Inspectorate is investigating multiple injuries to horses in fields at the the Altmark and, following new reports on 9 November 2026, has reiterated its appeal for criminal complaints and witness information. According to Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, the authorities have so far received only a few reports despite repeated coverage of cases in the regional press. A police spokesperson made clear that delayed reports make it harder to collect forensic evidence and may mean potential witness testimony is lost.
According to reports, the incidents date back to 2025 and continued into 2026. Owners affected in the Bismark unified municipality and surrounding areas described cut and stab wounds to horses’ necks, nostrils and legs. A vet who treated several animals is cited as the source for the descriptions of the injury patterns. In one documented case, a horse had to be put down after apparently seriously injuring itself while trying to flee. Police are investigating whether the individual cases are connected; no confirmed description of a suspect or information about the weapon is available at present.
Investigators are collecting and comparing evidence at the known crime scenes. A formal investigation involving forensic measures generally requires a criminal complaint. The Police Inspectorate Stendal therefore asks people to report suspicious observations and unusual injuries promptly, and not to disturb potential evidence at the scene. Meanwhile, owners say they have installed motion- or light-activated surveillance equipment in fields following incidents. However, in the view of police and animal-welfare authorities, such individual protective measures do not replace filing a report, which is necessary for a prosecution-ready investigation.
Observed facts, attributed statements and ongoing inquiries must be distinguished: findings on the type and location of injuries are based on veterinary treatment and reports, while the question of a suspect profile or a series of incidents is part of the investigation. Details of evidence are not being released at present for operational reasons. The geographical focus is the Altmark in the north of Saxony-Anhalt, with regional reports indicating that places in the Stendal area and the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel district.
Stendal Police Inspectorate urges people to report any future incidents immediately so that forensic evidence can be collected, witnesses interviewed and possible connections investigated promptly. Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk has brought the cases to public attention again; investigators hope to receive new information from the public.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).