Soldiers who served together subjected to abuse: Convicted former servicemen
The Berlin Regional Court has handed down a verdict in a trial involving three former German soldiers, who were found guilty of violence against a former comrade. The incidents, which occurred between February and May 2021 at the Julius-Leber barracks in Berlin-Reinickendorf, were part of a series of acts aimed at humiliating someone and demonstrating power.
A 36-year-old defendant was sentenced to a fine of 6,400 euros for failure to provide assistance and dangerous bodily harm. The lawyer for the 36-year-old has requested a fine of 130 daily rates of 50 euros (6,500 euros). Two men, aged 35 and 31, were sentenced to probation periods of one year and ten months, and one year and eight months, respectively, for severe sexual coercion. The lawyers for the 35- and 31-year-olds have pleaded for a guilty verdict for coercion and probation periods of ten and nine months, respectively.
The trial began nearly four years ago, initially based on suspicions of right-wing extremism within the guard battalion. However, the investigation soon uncovered a series of violent acts, including one incident where the victim, now 24, was sexually assaulted during a "Zäpfchen" ritual. In another incident, six soldiers, upon hearing the code words "bombe" or "Schweinehaufen", piled onto the victim.
The defendants, including the 36-year-old, have confessed to their actions and have made payments as part of a victim-offender reconciliation totaling 9,500 euros, which the judge, Uwe Nötzel, considered as mitigating circumstances.
Despite the attacks, the victim did not report the incidents within his unit. This silence has been a recurring theme throughout the trial, with the prosecution initially seeking a guilty verdict for rape, but the verdict is not yet final.
The defense lawyer for the 35-year-old maintains that the acts were a ritualized form of initiation without sexual motivation. However, the court found the defendants guilty of severe violence and coercion.
The victim still suffers from sleep disorders, nightmares, and panic attacks as a result of the attacks. The trial serves as a stark reminder of the impact of such violence on victims and the importance of reporting such incidents.
In a separate development, the initial measures taken against a suspected group, known as the "Wolfsrudel", were ruled unlawful by the Federal Administrative Court in July 2022 due to lack of initial suspicion. The court's ruling highlights the need for careful and lawful investigation in such sensitive cases.
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