Overview

• At the request of Linke MP Juliane Nagel the ministry for the first time published detailed accounts of 2024 induction rites in the Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit.
• The reported rituals include forcing recruits to drink large quantities of alcohol, shaving their heads, strapping on a disinfectant-soaked helmet that was set alight and struck with a spade alongside the chant "Jetzt gehörst du zur Familie."
• A second incident on October 26 allegedly compelled new officers to consume an extremely spicy currywurst as part of their initiation.
• Probes opened in December 2024 by the Landeskriminalamt and the Generalstaatsanwaltschaft target eight officers on suspicions of bodily harm in office and coercion, and corresponding disciplinary proceedings remain open.
• Die Linke has demanded full transparency and Saxony’s police leadership has voiced shock as the case intensifies scrutiny of oversight and culture within the specialized unit.