Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial hears Australian SAS soldiers ‘turned a blind eye’ to alleged war crimes

In closing submissions, newspapers' lawyer accuses several of Roberts-Smith's witnesses of outright dishonesty'

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A powerful omerta within Australia's SAS caused soldiers to turn a blind eye to the most despicable and egregious breaches of the laws of war", Ben Roberts-Smith's long-running defamation trial has heard.

On the second day of closing submissions, Nicholas Owens SC, acting for the newspapers being sued by Roberts-Smith, said witnesses, including those called by the newspapers, were reluctant to report alleged war crimes because of a pervasive culture" that forced new soldiers in particular to toe the line" of the regiment's culture.

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