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In its review, SVT Väst interviewed 44 people who completed their military service at K3 in Karlsborg. Of these, 37 are said to have heard insulting comments, 31 have suffered harassment and abuse of power and another 17 have suffered violence. Some are not recognized in the testimonials.
One of the recruits the channel spoke to talks about an officer who used violence as a reprimand.
Another testifies of an officer who beat the recruits with a stick to teach them to keep their heads down during a tracking exercise.
Others describe homophobic statements and corporal punishment.
During his military service as a fighter in K3, Leo, now 20, never encountered any violent commander. On the other hand, he speaks of a pedagogy that sometimes left much to be desired.
– Some things can be classified as adult bullying and nothing is learned from that. It is a difficult education and should require mental toughness, but it was not all education, some things were simply unnecessary, he says.
Crying on the bus
According to Leo, the physical strain sometimes mounted too quickly, with soldiers injured as a result. At other times, simple misunderstandings had dire consequences.
– We were punished as if we made a deliberate mistake. We tried to explain, but the officers did not accept it. Sometimes when you asked questions, you got no answer, but were called stupid. That made it difficult to interpret how to behave, says Leo.
When he was at his worst, it was a struggle to come back after leave, he says.
– On the bus to Karlsborg I sat and cried, because I knew what to expect. What a fool I am, they thought. But then I turned around and saw three others who were also sitting and crying, says Leo.
An investigation has been carried out on K3 since last spring, after a letter was sent to the regiment commander Ola Barvér with information that there are punishments, dangerous exercises and homophobia in the regiment. Says SVT.
K3 soldiers on exercise. People in the picture are not participating in the review.
Photo: NEWS AGENCY HENRIK MONTGOMERY / TT / TT
The Regiment Commander’s Response
The investigation is not finished yet, but Barvér tells SVT that their image is that they carry out a good education:
– We do not see that there is a structural problem in K3. But if it happens, then they are occasional events and individuals.
However, according to the Conscription Council, which visits all units in Sweden, the K3 stands out. The incidents are becoming more serious compared to the other regiments in the country.
Despite the sometimes difficult weather in K3, hunter-gatherer Leo is still more than happy with his service:
– Muck was very excited. You thought about how you will miss everyone and the time you spent together. Conscription is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. There is nothing that I regret, on the contrary.
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