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Decorated solider Ben Roberts-Smith breaks his silence after losing his defamation trial over war crimes allegations: ‘We won’t be making any apologies’
- Disgraced former soldier spotted at Perth Airport
- Ben Roberts-Smith arrived with girlfriend Sarah Matulin
- He said outcome of defamation trial was ‘devastating’
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Ben Roberts-Smith has broken his silence for the first time since losing his major defamation case.
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was first spotted in Queenstown Airport in New Zealand boarding a flight to Australia on Wednesday before touching down in Perth.
The sighting came 10 days after Mr Roberts-Smith lost his defamation action against The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times.
He spoke about the judgment for the first time, saying he was ‘devastated’ with the result.
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was first spotted in Queenstown Airport in New Zealand boarding a flight to Australia on Wednesday before touching down in Perth
The former SAS soldier arrived in his home town of Perth joined by girlfriend Sarah MatulinÂ
‘It’s a terrible outcome. It’s the incorrect outcome,’ he told Nine News.
‘We haven’t done anything wrong so we won’t be making any apologies.’
Mr Roberts-Smith said he was ‘proud’ of how he acted when serving for Australia, while a member of the public thanked him for his service.
The 44-year-old said he would be looking to consider whether to file an appeal against the decision.
The former SAS soldier had been seen in Bali the day before the verdict was handed down.
Justice Anthony Besanko ruled that the allegations against Mr Roberts-Smith, which include war crimes and murders, were proven to a civil standard of the balance of probabilities.
Mr Roberts-Smith has not faced any criminal charges.
Read Related Also: The life and times of Ben Roberts-Smith
In the wake of the findings, many have called for Mr Roberts-Smith to be stripped of his medals, including the Victoria Cross, and to have mention of him removed from the Australian War Memorial.
Mr Roberts-Smith said he was ‘proud’ of how he acted when serving for Australia, while a member of the public thanked him for his service (he is pictured at Perth Airport)
Ms Matulin stood back flanked by airport police as Ben dealt with the waiting media
The 44-year-old former soldier said he would be looking to consider whether to file an appeal against the decision (he is pictured at Perth Airport on Wednesday)
Meanwhile, former SAS captain and federal MP Andrew Hastie, who testified against Mr Roberts-Smith at the defamation trial, has broken his silence on the result.
He said sadness and relief at the finding.
‘Sadness for the Afghan lives lost and the families who are hurt, sadness for the relationships severed and sadness for the reputations destroyed, both individually and at the institutional level with the SASR particularly,’ he told the ABC.
‘Relief, though, that the cold hard truth that many of the regiment have been carrying inside them for many years, is now out in the public domain and it has been validated by a Federal Court Justice.’
The former SAS soldier had been seen in Bali the day before the verdict was handed down.
Roberts-Smith was seen loading their luggage into the back of a ute outside the airport
Mr Hastie, who is now the Opposition defence spokesman, praised the soldiers that raised the claims.
‘They’ve shown moral courage. They’ve been brave,’ Mr Hastie told the ABC.
‘I honour their work, because it’s they who have demonstrated that the regiment has a moral pulse, that the regiment can self-correct. And it’s they who have repudiated the toxic culture and behaviour.’
The Brereton inquiry into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, which handed down its report in 2021, found credible evidence 39 Afghan civilians were killed by Australian special forces during the war.
It identified 25 current or former ADF personnel as alleged perpetrators, either as principals or accessories.
