Australia's most decorated soldier loses defamation case for alleged war crimes

Ben Roberts-Smith arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney, on June 9, 2021. Australia's most decorated living war veteran, Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith, committed a slew of war crimes while in Afghanistan, including the unlawful killings of unarmed prisoners, a judge ruled on Thursday, June 1, 2023. (Rick Rycroft/AP)

SYDNEY — Australia's most decorated living war veteran unlawfully killed prisoners and committed other war crimes in Afghanistan, a judge ruled Thursday in dismissing the claims by Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith that he was defamed by media.

Federal Court judge Anthony Besanko ruled that the articles published in 2018 were substantially true about a number of war crimes committed by Roberts-Smith, a former Special Air Service Regiment corporal who now is a media company executive.