Germany probes army abuse claims

By Ray Furlong
BBC Berlin correspondent

German army recruits are regarded as 'citizens in uniform'

Germany's defence ministry is looking into claims of abuse of soldiers by superior officers at a unit in Bavaria.

Recruits were allegedly blindfolded and locked in a damp cellar after a night-time march.

The claims come after Defence Minister Peter Struck announced an inquiry into revelations that officers at another garrison tortured recruits.

There is now growing concern that standards have slipped in the German army.

The German army has defined itself since World War II as being a defender of democracy and human rights - a reaction to the legacy of the Nazi era.

German recruits are regarded as "citizens in uniform", making the current allegations of mistreatment, and even torture, all the more shocking.

Further cases

The latest allegations concern a unit in Bavaria, where, after a night-time march, soldiers were reportedly blindfolded and locked in a damp cellar.

A defence ministry spokesman told the BBC an investigation was now under way.

But the claims follow earlier reports of recruits being beaten and given electric shocks by officers dressed as Arab terrorists, as training for being taken hostage.

At the weekend, Mr Struck announced a wide-ranging inquiry, and said he expected further cases to come to light.

The scandal has once again raised the issue of whether Germany should scrap conscription, and it has also rekindled debate over the role of German troops deployed in countries such as Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia.