Military Justice Moves on Controversial Private Exchange Within Bruc Barracks
The Army has proposed a punishment of 15 to 30 days of arrest for two soldiers from the Bruc Barracks in Barcelona. The proposed sanction targets a private exchange that circulated within the unit about a prostitution service, a scheme that never materialized into an actual sale, according to military authorities.
The sanction, first reported by the newspaper Ara, was issued after the Army opened a disciplinary investigation under article 7, paragraph 27 of the Disciplinary Regime. This provision treats acts that damage the image of the Armed Forces or bring them into disrepute as a serious offense.
The disciplinary text emphasizes that penalties will apply for actions such as intoxication or the use of illegal substances in military facilities, ships, aircraft, or camps, whether during exercises or operations or, if outside those contexts, while in uniform or when such behavior harms the dignity of the Armed Forces. Military sources indicate this last clause could cover the present situation.
When the events came to light, the case was referred to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia because a civilian woman was affected. That initial inquiry was archived after the court concluded the conduct did not amount to a criminal offense. It was noted that the discussions occurred within a private group of a Bruc barracks unit and that, during a 2022 event known as the Day of the Immaculate Conception, the idea of auctioning a prostitute had been discussed half in jest.
The Defense Ministry subsequently launched an administrative process after filing disciplinary proceedings against the two soldiers who had promoted the proposed lottery, which ultimately did not occur. After the period for responses, more than a year later the Army has recommended arrest penalties for the two servicemen on grounds of violating the dignity of the military, not for an alleged insult to the woman involved.
“In the Armed Forces, as in any part of society, there is zero tolerance for offenses or assaults against women. Anyone who commits or proposes such reprehensible conduct must answer to the authorities,” announced the Ministry of Defense when the issue became public.
In that private unit group, roughly seventy soldiers were involved. Images of the prostitute and the services offered were shared, and a poster advertising the lottery of the “lady of company” appeared in the unit’s cantina. Investigations focused in part on potential sexist remarks toward women. Military sources stressed that the conversations cited did not occur in any official chat of the unit, but authorities were informed because the discussions took place in a private group in which some soldiers reportedly participated and were seen as potentially undermining the values of the institution.