While the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial is now over, the mission to achieve justice for alleged war crimes committed by Australian service members in Afghanistan is still in its infancy.
will “help clear the air in the public debate” about war crimes in Afghanistan.
The inquiry also alleged “possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history” was committed in 2012 during the conflict. Details of the incident were kept from the public. This was not only the first prosecution flowing from the Brereton inquiry, but also the first war crime murder charge ever laid against a serving or former Defence Force member under Australian law. Prosecutors allege that Shulz, 41, murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan with the ADF in an incident unrelated to Roberts-Smith.Speaking at the Lowy Institute in April, Campbell said he was bracing for more prosecutions as the special investigator continued its work.
The office revealed in its most recent annual report that its staff numbers had more than doubled from 52 to 125 over the past 12 months, suggesting its activities will only continue to increase in the coming years.One of the most contentious issues arising from the Brereton inquiry was whether Defence Force personnel who served in Afghanistan should retain their military medals and other honours.
Several veterans groups were outraged by the move, saying commanders were being scapegoated for the failures of those above and below them in the military hierarchy. The NSW veterans affairs minister warned some could end up self-harming or dying by suicide if they felt humiliated by defence leadership.
Campbell said he understood how people could believe he has an apparent conflict of interest given he reviewed his own performance commanding troops in the Middle East and whether he should retain his Distinguished Service Cross. Several experts, including former Defence Force chief Chris Barrie, questioned this finding at the time, saying it was national commanders’ responsibility to ensure that troops were behaving appropriately.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Australia ahead of defamation trial decisionEXCLUSIVE: The decorated war veteran has been photographed poolside in Bali at a $500-a-night resort. 9News
Read more »
Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Australia ahead of defamation trial decisionAfter a long-running trial, a judgment will be handed down today in the defamation case involving Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith and Nine newspapers. vella_lara 9News MORE:
Read more »
Newspapers proved Ben Roberts-Smith is a war criminal, court findsFormer Special Air Service Regiment solider Ben Roberts-Smith has been found by the Federal Court to have murdered unarmed Afghans, and a major defamation action he launched against newspapers who published stories about his conduct has been dismissed.
Read more »
Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation claims thrown outBREAKING: A Federal Court judge has found Ben Roberts-Smith did commit war crimes in Afghanistan. The court found he murdered or was complicit in the murder of four unarmed Afghans. 9News DETAILS:
Read more »
The stakes were high as judgment day came in Ben Roberts-Smith defamation caseAustralia's second longest-running defamation case was finalised on Thursday when the judgment in the case brought by Ben Roberts-Smith against three newspapers was delivered.
Read more »
'Justice': Ben Roberts-Smith loses war crimes defamation case against newspapersAustralia's most decorated living soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has lost what has been termed the ‘trial of the century’ and a 'proxy war crimes trial' after he sued three newspapers for defamation over a series of articles published in 2018. Read more:
Read more »