Six sergeants fined for misconduct at Utti Jaeger Regiment in Finland

The Kymenlaakso District Court has sentenced six sergeants to fines for abuse of their supervisory positions. Some of these non-commissioned officers inappropriately ordered recruits to perform push-ups during cleaning services at the Utti Jaeger Regiment. When recruits expressed a desire to purchase soft drinks from a vending machine, the sergeants insisted that they also be bought bottles.

These offenses occurred during their service from July to August 2023, and the sergeants mostly admitted to their actions. Additionally, one sergeant was convicted of assault for kicking a recruit in the ankle during an exercise. The injury left the recruit’s ankle bruised and swollen, with witness testimony and photographic evidence confirming the assault. The sergeant claimed he only lightly tapped the recruit’s ankle.

This same sergeant subjected recruits to humiliating tasks, such as making them squat and mimic a sauna stove while breathing heavily, sometimes for up to an hour. During one instance, he remarked, “All that’s missing is beer and whores.” Furthermore, he demanded to be greeted with a Nazi salute in the barracks and once placed sand on a recruit’s bed.

No appeals can be made against the ruling. The sergeant convicted of assault must pay a fine equivalent to 90 daily wages, totaling €540, while another sergeant found guilty of multiple instances of supervisory abuse faces a fine of €270. The remaining four sergeants each must pay 25 daily wages, which amounts to between €150 and €575 based on their earnings. The sentences are now legally binding.