Following allegations that some soldiers had been subject to severe malpractice, such as food deprivation or sleep deprivation while in service, around 500 of them were allowed to return to Sweden.
On Tuesday, Sweden’s Conscription Council, an organization representing conscript troops, told local media that there had been serious irregularities at the army’s Command Regiment in Enkoping. They claimed that this was a system of collective punishment for soldiers, which had been in place since October.
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Dagens Nyheter reported this story for the first time on Tuesday. They cited sources who said that conscripts were being forced to engage in activities even though they suffered from injuries or illness. Also, it was reported that conscripts were denied food and sleep as well as subjected. “inappropriate jargon”Sexist or offensive language in training
The Conscription Council’s communications manager, Olof Warmlander, told SVT that officers had ridiculed the complaints of conscripts when the issues were previously raised.
Since then the regiment has acknowledged its shortcomings. “Conscripts have experienced that there has been abusive behavior and jargon, both among conscripts but also by officers. We have worked with this for several years through training, but the problem remains,” the regiment’s communications manager, Therese Timpson, told SVT.
Elle stated that interviews were conducted and that a report was received on the matter last week.
National broadcaster SVT reports that 500 of the conscripts were sent home to allow officials to work on the issue for three days.
A working group has been appointed by the regiment and it will work together to develop a plan on how better training can be done next year. Extra training is also being provided to officers in order to prevent the repetition of abuses.
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