Survey: about 40% of female soldiers in Germany were harassed or sexually assaulted.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 13: A recent survey in Germany shows that about 40% of soldiers in the German army have experienced various forms of sexual harassment or assault in the past year. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius promised to take steps to combat such behavior within the military.
According to German media reports on the 12th, this survey was conducted by the Bundeswehr's Center for Military History and Social Sciences to investigate the true extent of unreported sexual harassment and assault in the military. The survey shows that about 40% of the female soldiers who responded to the anonymous online questionnaire reported that they had experienced sexual harassment or assault at least in the last year. Young and short soldiers are especially vulnerable to abuse. The survey also shows that about 19% of the soldiers surveyed had similar experiences.
After publishing the investigation report at a press conference in Berlin on the 11th, Pistorius said: "The incidents that actually took place are three to five times the number that was reported." According to him, the findings of the investigation are "unacceptable" and that the army must adopt a "zero tolerance" approach towards sexual harassment. He promised to take new steps, including simplifying reporting procedures, strengthening monitoring of the progress of treatment of reported incidents, providing more help to whistleblowers and requiring military officers to take more responsibility. He warned that commanders who acquiesce to inappropriate behavior or fail to properly address related issues will no longer be in leadership positions.
In 2011, Germany suspended the mandatory military service system that had existed for many years and replaced it with voluntary registration by citizens. Since then, the number of active soldiers in the Bundeswehr has stabilized around 180,000. In the context of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Germany aims to expand its military power in accordance with NATO's requirements to strengthen defense. By 2035, Germany will have 260,000 active military personnel and 200,000 reservists. On January 1 this year, Germany's "Military Service System Modernization Act" officially came into effect. The new military service system is still mainly volunteers, but it allows the recruitment of conscripts when necessary.