Bundeswehr: Allegations of sexual misconduct in Weißenfels

The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense does not want to comment publicly on details in the specific case. Göran Swistek refers to data protection - and to the ongoing internal investigations at Medical Regiment 1 in Weißenfels.

It's about sexualized misconduct and probably also drug abuse. “We take these allegations extremely seriously and have a clear zero-tolerance policy,” explains Swistek.

Pistorius promises strict punishment

If the allegations are confirmed, this will be punished consistently, emphasized Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on the sidelines of his visit to Crete. Some of the accused are said to have already been banned from entering the barracks and carrying out their duties.

“We will do everything we can to arrest every perpetrator and at the same time better protect those affected,” promises the SPD politician.

Military Commissioner calls for preventive measures

Just a few weeks ago, Inspector General Carsten Breuer called on the troops not to tolerate sexualized misconduct. This includes offensive comments as well as unwanted advances and violent attacks.

Breuer is not the only one who is very concerned about the fact that more cases of sexual misconduct are being reported. The Defense Commissioner of the German Bundestag, Henning Otte, who acts as the soldiers' parliamentary lawyer, is once again calling for further restrictive and preventive measures.

He had already stated in his annual report in March that the legal basis was clear. "How zero tolerance for sexualized misconduct is practiced still has a lot to do with the climate in the individual units and therefore also with management culture."

Ministry of Defense plans “intervention center”

Those affected report mutual protection from perpetrators and a culture of looking the other way. The Bundeswehr and the Ministry of Defense are trying to counteract this with new guidelines and training.

According to ministry spokesman Swistek, four further measures are currently in progress. This includes, for example, the establishment of an intervention center, which is planned for this year. “This should be available 24/7 with trained, psychologically trained staff,” says Swistek.

Reporting incidents should be made easier and the rights of victims should be strengthened. When assessing superiors, their handling of preventative measures and suspected cases should play a greater role in the future.

In order to understand the extent of the problem, the Ministry of Defense commissioned a dark field study some time ago. The results, it is said again and again, will be available soon.

Reports of discrimination against women

The military historian Sönke Neitzel sees a structural problem. In a report by Report Mainz, in which female soldiers vividly describe what lies behind the abstract concept of misconduct, Neitzel speaks of a male matrix that promotes discrimination against women.

"If you have two women and 140 men in a company, then of course you don't change the culture," explains Neitzel. It takes “a certain size of the minority so that the minority has a significant influence on the culture of the entire group.”

We're talking about 25 to 30 percent. However, the proportion of women in the Bundeswehr remains relatively stable at around 13 percent - despite all efforts to attract more women to the force. From the perspective of those affected, it is all the more important to take action against sexual misconduct more effectively and, above all, more quickly.