Dark field study in the Bundeswehr: Difficult to educate men's shop

Who would have thought: The Bundeswehr is not a safe place for queer people and especially not for women. This has now been proven by the first dark field study in the Bundeswehr. A total of 45,000 soldiers were interviewed anonymously, and a good 8,000 filled out the questionnaire completely.

The answers paint a clear picture: Sexual misconduct occurs frequently in the Bundeswehr, but it is rarely reported. 72 percent of female soldiers and 31 percent of male soldiers surveyed have been victims of verbal harassment and assault during their time on duty.

The results are dramatic but not surprising. Suspected cases of sexual abuse in the Bundeswehr repeatedly come to light. Allegations against soldiers in Weißenfels recently became known, where superiors were said to have been abusive towards subordinates. The case is now with the public prosecutor. Cases of sexual violence in the Bundeswehr regularly make headlines.

The taz is an independent, left-wing and opinionated daily newspaper. We have been arguing in our comments, essays and debate texts since the taz was founded in 1979. We often cannot and do not want to agree on an opinion. That's why you'll find some completely opposing positions here - all part of the very broad left-wing spectrum of opinions.

But even apart from specific cases, the high number of cases is not surprising. After all, the Bundeswehr is a men's shop where camaraderie, esprit de corps and a culture of cover-up prevail. What is also a reality for society as a whole is likely to be even more pronounced here: When a soldier is accused of abuse, his comrades stand behind him and not behind the victim who disrupts the status quo with his accusations.

In this logic of perpetrator-victim reversal, misconduct has no consequences. It's no wonder that those affected avoid reporting cases. They don't trust their own store. Although the results were to be expected, their importance should not be underestimated. Only when the extent of the violence is known can the problem be solved.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius now announces “zero tolerance” for sexual misconduct. It is unlikely that he means that all the accused will be referred to the Bundeswehr. Given the current state of the Bundeswehr, he can hardly afford to throw so many soldiers out of the force.

So he is relying on an action plan with 34 measures, including poorer opportunities for promotion after misconduct, a new advice center that will be available around the clock, and further research on sexual harassment and violence at the federal government.

These are all important tools, but they will not be able to prevent sexualized misconduct in the Bundeswehr. In order for queer people and women to be protected from this, a culture change is needed. This puts an end to camaraderie, esprit de corps and a culture of cover-up.