German soldiers were sodomized and forced to strip naked in “sadistic” hazing rituals, according to a new report based on an internal inquiry conducted by the German defense ministry.
The report, which surfaced Wednesday, reveals details of the humiliating practices used in Stauffer barracks, in Pfullendorf, southern Germany. It was accessed by Der Spiegel, a weekly German news magazine, which also independently unearthed stories of abuse. The military inquiry leading to the report, which confirmed the accounts of victim testimonies, was reportedly prompted by a female lieutenant when she reported the incidents directly to the defense ministry in October 2015.
Allegations claim recruits were forced to strip naked and also subjected to “medical tests,” being filmed supposedly for “training purposes” that involved supervisors touching the breasts and genitalia of recruits. There were also allegations that both male and female recruits were filmed while being sodomized on the pretext of learning how to insert medical devices into their anuses. Female recruits were reportedly forced to pole dance and strip down while their male counterparts consumed alcohol. Some were also bound to chairs and doused with water hoses.
Reacting to the information, German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen, called “the actions in Pfullendorf… repulsive and abominable” in a statement, according to Deutsche Welle. The internal inquiry report points to “disturbing signs of a lack of leadership, attitude, and culture,” Leyen said during a Jan. 31 workshop on sexual orientation and identity in the German Army, held in Berlin.
Although the seven training supervisors thought to be responsible have not yet been punished and instead have only been transferred to other bases and departments, the Local reports that five of them are to be dismissed, while another soldier’s case is still being reviewed. The investigation also revealed the victims were forced to sign consent forms by their abusers.
Leyen was criticized by Gisela Manderla, also of the ruling Christian Democratic Union party, for not doing enough to punish the accused.
“You will probably never be able to fully stop hazing rituals among soldiers… but people who violate someone’s personal rights and privacy should be fired from the Bundeswehr [German army] immediately,” she said.
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