A district court in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany is penalizing a colonel from the elite Special Forces Command unit (KSK) after finding him guilty of demonstrating the Nazi salute. It ordered him to pay a 4,000 euro fine, Spiegel reports. Another KSK soldier, who is said to have also shown the Hitler salute at the party, is being investigated.
The incident occurred during a farewell party for a German commando which took place in April 2017. Over 70 commandos took part in celebrations. As the investigation revealed, the KSK troops rented a private shooting range and decorated it in Medieval style. In addition to drinking a lot, they reportedly engaged in bizarre festivities such as throwing pig heads.
The investigation is based on the testimony of Ines B., who was invited to the party and reportedly came there voluntarily as she has a fetish for the trained and tattooed men of the Bundeswehr special unit. She was invited to reward the offender with sex for completing the course. However, the intercourse did not happen, as he was too drunk.
Later she reported that the convicted commando showed the Nazi salute several times. The woman also said that songs of the right-wing band "Sturmwehr" played during the evening.
Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, started its own probe last year. However, this investigation found nothing illegal about the party other than “blowing the boundaries of good taste."
"Following dozens of interrogations, the allegations of anti-constitutional manifestations have not been confirmed to date," the official statement, issued in 2017, reads.
The Bundeswehr also doubted the credibility of the witness Ines B. who was referred to as an "escort lady".
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The civil investigation found no reasons to dismiss her reports but got suspicious that all 73 commandos who participated might have agreed on their testimony.
Spiegel reports that the colonel is considered a hero, as he fought the Taliban in Afghanistan and even dragged a wounded comrade to safety during a terrorist attack. He also proved himself to be a good soldier during other missions, according to the KSK. While several participants of the party, including the organizer of the evening's festivities, were transferred from the KSK and issued minor fines, he has remained in the unit.
