Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s decorated soldier who was convicted of war crime by the court, defended the atrocities he committed during his service in Afghanistan, and proclaimed himself to be innocent.
In his first remarks since the landmark ruling earlier this month that found Roberts-Smith guilty of murdering Afghan civilians, the former SAS corporal, who returned to Perth on Wednesday, said that he will consider an appeal against the judgement.
“I’m devastated… It’s a terrible outcome and it’s the incorrect outcome,” Roberts-Smith, who was not in the country when the order was passed, told Channel Nine at Perth airport.
Won’t apologise
The disgraced soldier also said that he would not apologise to those affected by his alleged crimes.
“We haven’t done anything wrong, so we won’t be making any apologies,” he said.
On June 1, the 44-year-old former soldier lost the defamation case he filed against three newspapers—The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Canberra Times —which reported that he had murdered unarmed prisoners and civilians while serving in Afghanistan between 2009-2012.
Federal Court Judge Anthony Besanko had found the allegations against Roberts-Smith “substantially true”.
This is the first time that an Australian court has assessed accusations of war crimes by the country’s forces.
Roberts-Smith has not been charged so far as the ruling was made by a civil court. He is yet to be tried in a criminal court where there is a higher burden of proof.
Notably, none of the evidence presented in the civil defamation case against Roberts-Smith can be used in any criminal proceedings, and requires the investigators to gather their own independently.
BBC reported this week that the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) —which is responsible for addressing criminal matters related to the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan—would work alongside Australian Federal Police (AFP) to examine three alleged murders local media say involve the former soldier.
The killings allegedly took place at a compound codenamed Whiskey 108 and in the southern Afghan village of Darwan.
Who is Ben Roberts-Smith?
Roberts-Smith, who was born in Perth in West Australia in 1978, joined the Australian army when he was just 18. He joined the elite Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 2003.
He was deployed to Afghanistan multiple times between 2006 and 2012. He was also awarded the Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest honour, for his “most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril” during a mission in 2010 to track down a senior Taliban commander.
Roberts-Smith is divorced with twin teenage daughters. He left the military 10 years ago and took a degree in business, later joining the Seven Network media group and becoming a motivational speaker.
(With inputs from agencies)
