Aussie Soldier Charged with War Crimes

0:00It's April 8th, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Global News Today, your AI-powered world briefing. Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben Robert Smith, is staying behind bars after cops charged him with five counts of war crimes for, allegedly murdering civilians in Afghanistan. The 47-year-old Victoria Crosswinner got pinched on Tuesday and hauled off to Silverwater jail in Sydney, facing life sentences on each. Judge tied to killings between 2009 and 2012. His legal team skipped a bail bid at Wednesday's hearing, pushing instead for an in-person court date later that day. Judge Lucas Swan bumped the next mention to June 4th, so Robert Smith sits tight unless something changes sooner. This hits hard for a guy once hailed as a national hero from the elite Special Air Service Regiment after six tours downrange. He snagged top honors like the Victoria Cross for bravery, but now the shines off that metal. Federal police say the victims were unarmed detainees under Aussie control, shot either

1:02by him or on his orders right in front of him. It stems from a probe kicked off in 2021 by the AFP, and a special investigator digging into defense force misconduct. Robert Smith has always shot down these claims, even after losing Australia's priciest defamation fight, where a court ruled he likely killed for. Afghans. The war crimes trial looms large, reshaping his legacy from battlefield legend to courtroom