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Minister of Defense Ludivine Dedonder (PS) and Chief of Defense Michel Hofman will provide more information on Thursday about an extensive case of abuse of power and sexual offenses within the army. Several soldiers have already been suspended.
A case of serious abuse of power and sexual offenses has come to light at Defense. The facts are said to have taken place within the 4th engineer battalion in Amay. Minister of Defense Ludivine Dedonder (PS) and Chief of Defense (CHOD) Michel Hofman will provide more explanation at a press conference on Thursday morning. Vice Admiral Jan de Beurme will also be present, he is the Inspector General of Defense.
Neither the cabinet nor the defense staff itself currently wants to say anything officially about what happened. A Defense source told our sister newspaper De Standaard about “a case of abuse of power within a platoon in Amay”. According to that source, a significant group of soldiers would have had to stand outside naked at some point. “The file has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice. A number of soldiers have already been suspended.”
According to ‘De Morgen’, between twenty and thirty military personnel are involved, including soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers. About ten of them have already been suspended and a platoon of engineers has even been formally disbanded as a result of what has come to light. Due to the omerta within the unit, these abuses were able to remain under the radar for a long time.
Minister of Defense Ludivine Dedonder (PS)