Six soldiers suspended over racist texts

The Ministry of Defense suspended six soldiers for sharing "hurtful and insulting images" in a service-related WhatsApp group. These included racist images, the Ministry said in a statement.

The marine soldiers were in Denmark for a training exercise when the messages were reported to the Ministry this past weekend. They were immediately sent back to the Netherlands.

The Ministry asked the Public Prosecution Service (OM) to investigate the messages and determine whether any criminal offenses were committed.

"Defense emphasizes that it has no room for unacceptable and socially unsafe behavior. Depending on the OM investigation and possible criminal prosecution, further measures or sanctions will be taken," the Ministry said.