German paratrooper unit probed over alleged ‘openly antisemitic clique,’ sex abuse

BERLIN, Germany — An elite German paratrooper regiment is under investigation over claims that troops were involved in antisemitic incidents as well as sexual abuse — alleged behavior condemned by Germany’s Defense Ministry as “unacceptable” on Monday.

The probe into the unit based in the southwestern town of Zweibruecken was launched after two women soldiers filed a complaint in June, the army confirmed.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily said Monday that several dozen soldiers were being investigated for abuses, including sexual assault, “right-wing extremist and antisemitic incidents,” violent rituals, and using hard drugs.

Regiment insiders cited by the daily reported that there was a “far-right, openly antisemitic clique” in Zwebruecken, in which Jewish slurs were uttered, and Nazi salutes were performed as a “common greeting when entering a room.”

Additionally, the group held a Nazi-themed party, from which a photo emerged with soldiers dressed up in Nazi-style uniforms with red armbands, only missing a legally prosecutable swastika, FAZ reported.

According to the report, the soldiers denied that the party was Nazi-related, claiming that it was inspired by the series “Peaky Blinders”; however, there were no references to the city of Birmingham or criminal gangs in the aftermath of World War I in the photo seen by the daily.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kenneth Harms said disciplinary action had been taken against several members of the regiment, there had been “initial dismissals,” and the commander had been replaced this year.

“To be perfectly clear, right-wing extremism and inappropriate sexual behavior are the offenses in question,” he said. “Neither is acceptable in the Bundeswehr, and it is therefore imperative to investigate the incidents thoroughly.

“Anyone who has committed misconduct or even criminal offenses, or who, as a superior, has looked the other way or tolerated such behavior, will be dealt with appropriately.”

An army spokeswoman later told AFP that investigations had been conducted against 55 suspects and dismissal proceedings initiated against 19, of whom three had already left the service.

“A total of 16 cases have been referred to the public prosecutor’s office,” she added. “Disciplinary measures have also been imposed in 16 cases, and the military disciplinary prosecutor’s office has opened preliminary investigations in 20 cases.”

State prosecutors in Zweibruecken said in November they were looking into accusations against 19 soldiers as part of the probe, and a spokesman on Monday told AFP the status of the investigations “has remained largely unchanged since then.”

Germany has seen previous incidents of extremism in the armed forces.

An elite army commando force was dissolved in 2020 after revelations that some of its members harbored neo-Nazi sympathies.

Europe’s largest economy is looking to revamp its armed forces and recently agreed on a new military service model to attract more recruits.