Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, has publicly vowed to continue challenging allegations of war crimes following a landmark civil court ruling. The former Special Air Service (SAS) corporal recently lost a high-profile defamation lawsuit against three Australian newspapers after a judge found that reports accusing him of involvement in the murder of four unarmed Afghan prisoners were “substantially true.” While Roberts-Smith maintains his innocence and has not been criminally charged, the case has prompted significant national debate regarding military accountability and conduct during the conflict in Afghanistan.
- Ben Roberts-Smith is a highly decorated veteran who served in the Australian Special Air Service Regiment.
- The former soldier initiated a defamation lawsuit against several media outlets over investigative reports detailing alleged misconduct during his deployments.
- A Federal Court judge dismissed the suit, ruling that the media outlets successfully proved the core allegations of unlawful killings to a civil standard.
- The allegations involve the deaths of Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2006 and 2012.
- Despite the civil ruling, Roberts-Smith has not been charged with any criminal offenses and continues to deny all claims of wrongdoing.
- The Office of the Special Investigator is currently conducting an ongoing criminal investigation into potential war crimes committed by Australian forces.
France 24 is an international television network and news website owned by the French state.
Official website: https://www.france24.com/en/
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If USA did and checked it's soldiers,, there will be non in service,, speciallyin Iraq war and Afghanistan early war,, black water incident too
It’s time to hold these people accountable for the vicious actions creating an unhonorable military in many countries!
A disgrace to the uniform and I hope he rots in jail. Spent 25 million dollars fighting a defamation case, lost and the judge literally said, on the base of the evidence he probably did commit war crimes.
That's a lot of war crimes by one soldier
I want to believe the soldier, but the accusations are very specific and descriptive.
This is nothing more than a liberal farce.
From a Aussie. If this is proven he deserves the harshest penalties. Good work that we hold such actions accountable. Many countries NEVER do and we know it happens. My apologies. I’m truly ashamed 😢
Starting the newsclip of a suspected war-criminal with the caption of "most decorated soldier" speakes volumes about on which side of the divide you (France 24) stand. This is an insult to common sense of viewers.
Trump’s unprovoked, sneak attack on a sovereign state while in the middle of negotiations, was addressed at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. (Pearl Harbor)
The US doesn’t prosecute its own for War Crimes….
War is Hell! Even the strongest will be tested!
Be careful what you hate, you may become it!!!
I don't know what the man did or didn't do. I know war can change people even the good people. You're in a constant state of survival and battle mindset, sleep deprivation and mental health challenges are real, you may not make the best choices under constant stress.