Ben Roberts-Smith, a former SAS soldier and alleged war criminal, has publicly refuted all charges against him in a statement released today.
The 47-year-old, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, was taken into custody on April 7. He faces accusations of killing or commanding the killings of five unarmed detainees during his tours in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
Standing on the Gold Coast, Roberts-Smith read a concise statement to address the allegations.
“For the last decade, my family and I have endured efforts to persuade Australians of my supposed misconduct during my service in Afghanistan,” he declared.
“I have consistently asserted my innocence regarding all these allegations,” he continued.
“Even though I would have preferred not to face these charges, I am ready to use this moment to definitively clear my name,” Roberts-Smith concluded.
“I’m proud of my service in Afghanistan.”
He closed by saying he’d “never run from a fight in my life”.
Roberts-Smith successfully applied for bail at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court last Friday. He was released from Silverwater Correctional Centre before travelling back to Queensland.
He has consistently proclaimed his innocence.
War crime allegations against Roberts-Smith were first exposed by the now Nine-owned Fairfax Media in 2018.
The war veteran sued for defamation in the Federal Court but suffered a crushing defeat with a judge finding the accusations of murder were, on the balance of probabilities, true.
He failed to overturn these findings on appeal to the full Federal Court and the High Court.
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