‘Systemic’ sexual misconduct in German armed forces, study finds

BERLIN — Most cases of sexual misconduct in Germany’s armed forces go unreported, according to a major study presented Wednesday, as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius acknowledged a “systemic problem” in how the military handles complaints. The report found that sexual misconduct was three to six times more common than official figures suggest. The findings come as Germany tries to recruit more soldiers, including more women, as part of efforts to rebuild its military.

Four in 10 female soldiers and roughly one in five male soldiers said they had experienced at least one form of sexual misconduct in the previous year. That includes unwanted sexual comments, sexual images, unwanted touching and sexual violence. Over the same period, 2% of both women and men reported experiencing sexual violence.

More than 8,100 soldiers completed the July 13 to Aug. 27 anonymous survey, about 18% of those contacted. The researchers said they had adjusted the results to reflect the makeup of the military.