In St. Johann/Pongau

Assault on female soldiers in army dining hall

A major in the Krobatin barracks is accused of harassing lower-ranking female soldiers. According to information from "Krone", the officer has already admitted the incident internally.

(Bild: Bundesheer, Krone KREATIV)

Serious incident at a Christmas party in the Krobatin barracks in Salzburg: a major is said to have "indecently groped the buttocks" of two lower-ranking, younger female soldiers, the parliamentary Armed Forces Commission speaks of a "very serious case". The allegations come at a time when the armed forces are particularly keen to recruit female soldiers.

On 20.12.2023, four days before Christmas Eve, the officer allegedly assaulted the female soldier in a "very intoxicated state" in the dining hall at around 7 pm. According to an anonymous letter to the parliamentary Armed Forces Commission, which is available to the "Krone", the high-ranking soldier indecently groped a female chargin and a female non-commissioned officer, including on their buttocks.

The Krobatin barracks in St. Johann im Pongau. It is home to the Command Support Battalion 2, among others, where the assaults are said to have occurred.

(Bild: Bundesheer)

Male soldiers came to the rescue
The much younger Chargin went to her immediate superior "in tears", while the female non-commissioned officer insulted the groping major. Other male cadre soldiers came to the women's aid and confronted the major. "But that was pointless in his intoxicated state," the letter continues. 

In the battalion itself, the case has since caused a minor uproar:

• After the "Krone" inquiry on March 11, the battalion commander in the Krobatin barracks, Colonel Johannes Nussbaumer, was informed of the allegations the following day at around 12.15 pm.
• At 1 p.m. he called his company commanders together and confronted them. The major concerned meekly admitted the incident.
• At 2.15 p.m. they spoke to one of the female soldiers, the other was on leave at the time.
• On the same day, verbal disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the major, followed by written proceedings the next day. 
• Shortly afterwards, the disciplinary department of the Ministry of Defense took over the case, and the military police are also currently questioning those involved.

A major in the Krobatin barracks is accused of harassing lower-ranking female soldiers. According to information from "Krone", the officer has already admitted the incident internally.

(Bild: Bundesheer, Krone KREATIV)

The Armed Forces Commission, which is investigating in parallel and independently of this, said that the incident is being taken "very seriously" and that the first interviews were conducted this week. The official head of the investigation is the SPÖ's military spokesman, Robert Laimer: "As the official chairman of the commission, I invited the two female soldiers concerned to our office in Rossauer Lände yesterday and wrote a transcript. The accused named in the anonymous complaint will also be invited to make a statement in the near future."

"There is zero tolerance for this"
The case comes at the worst possible time: the Austrian Armed Forces are currently focusing more and more on women in their search for more personnel. "Assaults like this damage our efforts to increase the proportion of female soldiers. There is zero tolerance for this and everyone will see that such behavior leads to clear consequences. I regret this incident and apologize to the female soldiers," said the spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, Colonel Michael Bauer.

"Behavior like this leads to clear consequences." Michael Bauer, spokesman for the armed forces

(Bild: Zwefo)

Since April 1, 2023, women have been able to complete their basic military service voluntarily, and 136 have already enlisted in this way. However, with around 750 female soldiers in the Austrian Armed Forces, women are still greatly outnumbered.