When facts suggest that a soldier has committed a breach of duty, the disciplinary superior must clear up the facts through the necessary investigation. That is § 32 of the Military Disciplinary Code. Werden Tatsachen bekannt, die den Verdacht eines Dienstvergehens rechtfertigen, so muss die oder der Disziplinarvorgesetzte den Sachverhalt durch die erforderlichen Ermittlungen aufklären.
The investigation covers the facts that incriminate the soldier, the facts that clear him, and the facts that bear on the kind and size of the measure. Before the decision, the soldier must always be asked whether he wants to say anything.