Dark field study in the Bundeswehr - Many cases of sexualized misconduct

Dark field study in the Bundeswehr Many female soldiers describe sexualized misconduct As of: November 11, 2026 • 11:13 a.m

According to an internal investigation, sexual misconduct is widespread in the Bundeswehr - female soldiers are most often affected. Research by WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung provides insight into specific cases.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) himself came to the Bundestag to report on a study that has been occupying his office for almost a year. It's about sexualized misconduct in the Bundeswehr - the dark field study is a matter for the boss.

For the study, all female soldiers in the Bundeswehr and a roughly equal number of men were surveyed - a total of 45,000 soldiers. Around 8,100 fully completed responses to the online survey were received, according to the study. Overall, significantly more female soldiers than male soldiers answered the questions. The numbers are alarming.

Sexualized violence in the Bundeswehr: Pistorius presents study tagesschau24, November 11, 2026 • 9:00 a.m. 40 percent of female soldiers report an incident in the past year. The study shows that 40 percent of the female soldiers surveyed have experienced at least one incident of sexualized misconduct during their service in the past twelve months.

The researchers at the Center for Military History and Social Sciences distinguish between four categories. Verbal harassment, for example lewd comments, was reported most frequently in the past twelve months; specifically, 38 percent of all study participants stated that they had experienced verbal harassment. Seven percent reported the involuntary creation of images or that images of them were altered using AI. Nine percent of women report physical assault and two percent report sexual violence.

The researchers see several reasons why incidents are not reported: a lack of trust in the reporting system, military structures and the military environment. Depending on the category of misconduct, between 36 and 61 percent of respondents said they did not report incidents because they feared negative consequences for themselves. Between 44 and 59 percent have doubts about the effectiveness of a report.

A dark field study has shown that there are more cases than official reporting figures show. more

Today's results put the German armed forces in the worst possible situation. Women are currently severely underrepresented in almost all areas of the Bundeswehr. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and Germany's rearmament, the Bundeswehr is desperately recruiting more men and women.

But last year, reports of sexual misconduct reached a new high of 472 cases, and this is expected to have risen further in 2026. This is not the only reason why military commissioner Henning Otte criticizes that “the bright field also needs to receive more attention”. The ministry has been aware of cases of sexual harassment and rape for years.

In 2024, the then military commissioner Eva Högl (SPD) had already initiated the study into the dark field of sexual assaults in the Bundeswehr. In 2025, a scandal at the Bundeswehr base in Zweibrücken made headlines; most recently, alleged sexualized misconduct by trainers in a barracks in Weißenfels in Saxony-Anhalt became public. According to judicial circles, the accused were all significantly older and more senior than those affected.

After reports of sexual misconduct in the Bundeswehr, the question arises: How deep is the problem? more

WDR, NDR and SZ have viewed numerous cases and judgments in which members of the Bundeswehr were accused. According to a final verdict, a rape occurred in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan in 2020. This is shown by a ruling by the Kempten regional court from March 2023. A military police officer and a civilian employee remained behind in the German camp after a carnival celebration. She wanted to clean up; according to the verdict, at this point at the latest he had decided to have unprotected sexual intercourse with her. During the previous celebration, the woman had rejected the man several times.

During the following interviews, the investigators documented: "Heavy crying, very strong shaking and noticeable stuttering." When it came to the details of the rape, she could hardly speak. The perpetrator was sentenced to two years in prison on probation.

In 2025, the Kempten regional court sentenced a soldier to a fine of around 8,000 euros for mistreatment and sexual harassment. The non-commissioned officer was deployed abroad on a frigate. One night in April he is said to have gone onto the women's deck drunk and wearing only trousers. There he reached under the blanket between the legs of a sleeping soldier and pinched her inner thigh so hard that the woman was still in pain the next day. This emerges from a penalty order that became legally binding in October 2025 and is available to WDR, NDR and SZ.

There is also currently an indictment at the Tiergarten district court in Berlin for the gang rape of a female soldier. According to the prosecution, two soldiers are said to have abused her. The court is currently examining whether it will admit the charges to the main hearing.

The Bundeswehr cannot get the problem of sexual misconduct under control, as research by REPORT MAINZ shows. more

Even before the study results were published, the ministry had initiated initial measures and set up a new help hotline "at a rapid pace". Since November 1st, those affected have been able to confidently contact an office for initial advice, independent of their superiors. The position will be filled 24/7 in the future.

In the Bundeswehr, superiors play a key role. If there is suspicion of an incident, the disciplinary supervisor must investigate. If there are signs of a crime, superiors are instructed to pass the cases on to the public prosecutor's office. In the future, it should also be included in the assessment of superiors on how they deal with sexualized misconduct.

If left-wing MP Zada ​​Salihovic has her way, the Bundeswehr's investigations should take place independently of existing hierarchies: "The hotline that has already been set up is a step in the right direction, but cannot replace an independent external reporting point with investigative powers and specially trained staff. We finally need such a reporting point, transparent procedures and consistent protection of those affected."

It's not just the opposition that the measures don't go far enough. The CDU defense politician Vivian Tauschwitz was herself in the Bundeswehr. She also calls for an independent investigative body, but in the end it is all about trust: "It is not created through daily orders or through press conferences, but where reports are taken seriously, allegations are clarified independently and those affected are protected. The Ministry of Defense must therefore not be measured by the number of new measures, but by whether they actually change something in everyday life."

This topic in the program: tagesschau24 | News | 11/11/2026 | 9:00 a.m. + 10:00 a.m., BR24 Radio | News | 11/11/2026 | 11:01 a.m