Despite official declarations and in contradiction with the values advocated by the Air Force, violent hazing, sometimes followed by long-term bullying, is not uncommon. In recent years, an air base has been particularly criticized: that of Nancy-Ochey, in Meurthe-et-Moselle. Six of its soldiers have lodged a criminal complaint for acts of physical violence, moral and sexual harassment.
In this extract from “Further investigation” of January 6, 2022, a former mechanic testifies on condition of anonymity. At 19, major of his promotion, he had chosen Nancy-Ochey as his first assignment. After four years on the base, Franck suffers from severe depression, to the point of having considered suicide. The ordeal would have started as soon as he arrived, he says.
“The first day we arrive, we hear yelling in the hangar: ‘Ah, a new toy!’ (…) It was me: I was young, I was the toy, I was the one with whom we will be able to have fun, we will be able to laugh … “
Franck, former mechanic in the air forceto “Further investigation”
Homophobic mockery and insults follow one another, according to him. A few weeks later, an integration hike in the mountains would have turned into a nightmare. Backpacks filled with alcohol, and for Franck, eating is forbidden but obligatory to drink pure rum. He soon finds himself half naked, his pants legs cut off by one of the sergeants. Then thrown into a truck. “There are 20 of us in the dumpster, and there, I get hit from all sides, he continues. Kicks, slaps, spankings … I no longer know where I am, I’m lost (…). And it makes you laugh. It makes you laugh, it’s funny. “
An accomplice hierarchy?
Arrived at his destination, at the chalet, things would have gotten even worse for Franck. In the presence of dozens of soldiers, his “godfather”, a sergeant, ordered him to insult the mechanics-gunsmiths, the “pétafs” in the jargon of the army. He ends up doing it. “And there are about ten guys who come to hit me, beat me up, he asserts. They lowered my pants, my underpants, I took spanking, kicked in the head, in the arms, the legs… And a lot, that makes them laugh. There are plenty of them watching because it’s funny. I’m talking about the whole hierarchy, eh. Whether you are a sergeant or a chief warrant officer, there are some, it makes them laugh, it’s funny. “
According to Franck, a lieutenant-colonel would have ended up intervening to put an end to the violence. Joined by “Further investigation”, the latter says he has no memory of this day. The former mechanic ended up entering the Themis cell, dedicated to the fight against sexual harassment in the army. An investigation is currently underway for acts of harassment and willful violence.
Extract from “Harassment in the army: soldiers are breaking the silence”, a document to be seen in “Further investigation” on January 6, 2022.
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