Report: 59% of soldiers' complaints justified
IDF Ombudsman report indicates 6,100 complaints were filed in 2009, including against doctor who refused to treat soldier bitten by scorpion in middle of the night, officer who handed utility knife to soldier who threatened suicide, liaison officer who used Facebook to track reserves troops
A report issued by the IDF Ombudsman on Monday suggests that 59% of complaints filed with the body in 2009 were found to be justified. It was further indicated that a total of 6,100 complaints were filed in 2009, compared with 6,501 in 2008.
The report noted that 60% of complaints were filed by active duty soldiers, 15% by reserves troops and 15% by career officers. The rest were filed by citizens and unnamed individuals.
Exactly 1,143 complaints pertained to army medical treatment.
A reserves officer complained that an army doctor refused to attend to a soldier who was bitten by a scorpion and brought to an army clinic late at night. The doctor confirmed that he didn't find it necessary to treat the soldier himself straight away despite being told he was dizzy and unable to move his leg. The Ombudsman blamed the officer of misconduct during a medical emergency which could have resulted in death.
The report also addressed complaints regarding soldier abuse. One complaint filed by a young officer's parents accused senior officers and other soldiers of physical violence towards their son.
An inquiry revealed that the abuse was part of an initiation ceremony for newly appointed officers. Senior officers beat and chained young officers and dragged them on the floor. They later covered their bodies with hot spices, sealed their ears with margarine, fed them garlic, placed cucumbers inside their mouths which they sealed with tape.
The higher-ranking officers also plucked hair off the young officers' legs and emptied trash cans on them. They were later suspended and after being indicted were sentenced to military prison terms.
Reckless behavior
The report also details an incident during which a soldier said he would hurt himself if he wasn't reassigned. The company deputy commander responded to the claim by handing the soldier a utility knife saying, "Well, let's see you hurt yourself, can you do it?."
The soldier's complaint noted that the he took the knife and cut the palm of his hand. The Ombudsman determined that the officer's behavior was reckless and dangerous and he was eventually reassigned to staff duty.
Another complaint pertained to misuse of the Facebook social network by a liaison officer who tried to contact a reserves soldier who failed to show up for duty.
Unable to reach him she asked a friend to obtain his phone number and address via Facebook, who proceeded to initiate a correspondence with him by pretending to be a friend of his sister.
Following the complaint, the District Adjutant Officer prohibited the use of social networks for the purpose of contacting reserves troops.
