More than 60 percent of female German soldiers said they had experienced sexual harassment during their service, Der Spiegel reported on Wednesday, citing a survey.
The findings are based on responses from more than 4,000 women to a questionnaire conducted by the Potsdam-based Center for Military History and Social Sciences.
Researchers divided the reported misconduct into four levels of severity. Nearly 40 percent said they had experienced sexualised remarks or suggestive comments while serving in the Bundeswehr.
Another 15 percent reported harassment involving images taken without their consent or altered using artificial intelligence. A further 8 percent said they had experienced physical advances, while 2 percent reported explicit sexual violence.
Just over a third of respondents said they had not reported, or would not report, sexual misconduct because they lacked trust in their superiors or doubted that complaints would be investigated properly.
Misconduct raises concerns as military expands
The findings come as the Bundeswehr seeks to expand its ranks and faces an increasingly urgent need to recruit young personnel.
Last week, Germany's top military commander reportedly expressed concern over rising cases of sexual misconduct in the armed forces.
Inspector General Carsten Breuer described the situation as “unacceptable” in an official order issued to the military in September, according to Der Spiegel.
Reports of misconduct, ranging from inappropriate remarks to rape in military barracks, have reportedly increased in recent months.
