Ben Roberts-Smith Commemoration Way plaque in Mt Barker defaced with graffiti after alleged war crime charges

A plaque honouring decorated Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has been defaced with graffiti after his arrest over alleged war crimes. The plaque in WA’s Great Southern on Albany Highway, at a Mt Barker rest stop, was erected to honour the former Special Air Service Regiment corporal in 2016 as part of the Commemoration Way project, which acknowledges 19 of the state’s Victoria and George Cross recipients. An image of the plaque covered in blue paint was shared online by a concerned member of the public on Tuesday, who slammed the person responsible days out from Anzac day. The original poster of the image said “to whoever done this, you are a piece of garbage (and) it’s a spit in our faces”. “Disgusting . . . I have no words,” another user said. WA Police were approached for comment. Mr Roberts-Smith was arrested last Tuesday by officers from the Australian Federal Police, in front of his partner and twin teenage daughters while on a school holiday trip. The 47-year-old was later charged with five counts of the war crime of murder over the deaths of five Afghan civilians and detainees between 2009 and 2012. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said it was alleged that Mr Roberts-Smith either shot the unarmed victims or that they were shot by “subordinate members of the ADF in the presence of, and acting on the orders of the accused”. The Commemoration Way project runs along Albany and South Western Highways, with each plaque featuring a photo and short biography of each veteran. In the wake of Mr Roberts-Smith arrest, Main Roads said any changes to the plaque would be “subject to guidance from the relevant authorities, including Veteran’s Affairs.” “It wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further while the matter is before the courts,” the spokesperson said. The Australian War Memorial recently updated its display on Mr Roberts-Smith to include the worlds “In April 2026, Roberts-Smith was charged with five counts of the war crime of murder. The legal process is ongoing.” Mr Roberts-Smith was charged following a years-long joint investigation by the AFP and Office of the Special Investigator. In 2023, a years-long defamation court battle launched by the former soldier against Nine Newspapers, ultimately found, that on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Roberts-Smith was responsible or complicit in the deaths of four people in Afghanistan. He has not been found guilty of war crime to a criminal standard. Mr Roberts-Smith has not made an application for bail on the five charges and has been remanded in custody at Sydney’s Silverwater maximum security prison. He is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on April 17 for a bail application. Some of Australia’s most pre-eminent figures including former prime minister John Howard have weighed-in on the case and called for calm heads so the war hero is afforded his right to a fair trial. “To some Australians, Mr Roberts-Smith is the modern personification of the great Anzac tradition. That tradition is held dearer by our fellow Australians than any other in our proud history,” Mr Howard said. “Having been charged, Mr Roberts-Smith is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Australians will expect that his trial is conducted according to the best traditions of our justice system and as expeditiously as possible.”