Investigators are currently examining 55 suspects, he added, while disciplinary and criminal proceedings are ongoing.
The probe centers on the regiment based in the western German town of Zweibrücken, where soldiers are accused of a range of offenses including Hitler salutes, antisemitic behavior, sexualized violence and drug misuse.
In 16 cases, files have been handed over to civilian prosecutors. Additional disciplinary measures have been imposed within the military, including temporary suspensions from duty.
The case first came to public attention in December when the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported on serious misconduct inside the regiment, triggering broader national scrutiny. Subsequent reporting revealed that complaints from within the unit had reached the parliamentary ombudsman earlier, raising questions about why the full scale of the problem had taken months to emerge.
The affair has fueled criticism in parliament over the military’s internal oversight at a time when Germany is seeking to rapidly expand and modernize its armed forces in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine and NATO demands for greater readiness.
Opposition Green Party defense policy lawmaker Agnieszka Brugger said the findings painted a “catastrophic picture” in a statement to POLITICO, accusing Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of a “political leadership failure.”