REDLAND City councillor Paul Golle has urged the public not to rush to judgment as former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith faces serious war crimes charges.
Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested at Sydney Airport this week and charged with five counts of the war crime of murder over alleged incidents in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
He has been refused bail and remains in custody, with the matter now before the courts.
He has not been found guilty of any criminal offence and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
In a social media post, Cr Golle said the case should be viewed with caution, particularly by those without firsthand experience of military service in conflict zones.
“I was asked today for my opinion on Ben Roberts-Smith,” he wrote.
“Firstly, I would say: don’t judge unless you’ve been there, or walked in the boots of those who have gone before.”
Cr Golle, who said he spent three years in the Middle East, described the operational environment faced by soldiers as complex and confronting.
“It’s a world far removed from everyday life where the lines are blurred and threats can come from anywhere,” he said.
“It’s an environment that is difficult to comprehend unless you’ve experienced it firsthand.”
Roberts-Smith is one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in Afghanistan in 2010.
The current charges stem from a lengthy investigation by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator, with authorities alleging the unlawful killing of unarmed Afghan civilians.
The case follows a high-profile defamation trial in 2023, in which a Federal Court judge found, on the civil standard, that key allegations against Roberts-Smith were substantially true.
However, those findings do not amount to criminal guilt, which must be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Reflecting on his own interaction with the former soldier, Cr Golle said his personal impression did not align with the allegations now before the court.
“I had the opportunity to meet Ben and found him to be a humble man who carried the weight of an incredibly challenging role,” he said.
“Ben came across to me as a gently spoken individual, with the capacity to be the warrior he was trained to be when required.”
“I never got the sense of someone driven by the kind of rage reflected in what is being reported.”
Cr Golle also pointed to the recognition Roberts-Smith received during his military service, including the awarding of the Victoria Cross.
“Think about it, the process to award the VC isn’t something to be sneezed at, so why award the VC if there was a shadow over Ben?” he said.
He drew a historical comparison to Breaker Morant, an Australian officer executed during the Boer War.
“In some ways, it brings to mind Breaker Morant… who was executed after following orders not to take prisoners,” Cr Golle said.
Authorities have emphasised the allegations relate to a small number of individuals and do not reflect the broader conduct of the Australian Defence Force.
Roberts-Smith is expected to face court as legal proceedings continue.
