Ben Roberts-Smith charged with five war crimes in Afghanistan
Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most decorated Afghanistan veteran, has been arrested and charged with five war crimes. The 47-year-old Victoria Cross recipient will stand trial for alleged crimes committed during his military service in Afghanistan.
Ben Roberts-Smith was once seen as Australia's greatest war hero. The 47-year-old received the Victoria Cross, the country's highest military honor, for his service in Afghanistan.
But his reputation has collapsed. Roberts-Smith has now been arrested and charged with five war crimes allegedly committed during his time as a soldier in Afghanistan. The charges include allegations that he murdered unarmed civilians and bullied fellow soldiers.
The case started when Roberts-Smith sued three newspapers for reporting these allegations. He called the claims "egregious" and "spiteful" and denied all wrongdoing. But the legal action backfired when a civil court found the newspapers' reports were largely true.
This will be the first criminal trial in Australian history to examine war crimes allegations against a soldier. The case has shocked Australia, where Roberts-Smith was once lionized as the country's most celebrated Afghanistan veteran.
The charges have not yet been tested to a criminal standard, which requires proof beyond reasonable doubt.
This case marks the first time any court has examined war crimes allegations at this level against an Australian soldier. It shows how even decorated military heroes can face serious criminal charges, and could change how countries handle allegations of misconduct by their troops overseas.
Roberts-Smith will face a criminal trial where prosecutors must prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
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