The Belgian military union ACMP has taken legal action against the Defence Department for excluding soldiers accused of infidelity from security-sensitive roles.
The union claims that the screening process delves excessively into the private lives of military personnel. It says several soldiers were confronted with allegations of infidelity during these evaluations.
ACMP seeks legal clarification on what the Defence Department considers “infidelity” and whether this applies only to married personnel or also to those cohabiting without a legal obligation of fidelity. It is also questioning how the department utilises this information.
In response, Defence clarified to Het Nieuwsblad that infidelity itself is not the focus of security screenings. However, it stated that infidelity could be seen as an indicator of a person’s character, a key factor in such investigations. Additionally, undeclared infidelity could render personnel vulnerable to blackmail.
