Australian war crimes book to go ahead despite government pushback

A bombshell book written by the woman who sparked Australia’s war crimes probe will go ahead despite pushback from Defence Minister Peter Dutton.

An explosive new book written by the woman who sparked Australia’s war crimes probe will proceed despite Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s threat to obtain “legal advice” on the publication.

But military sociologist Dr Samantha Crompvoets new book, Blood Lust, Trust and Blame will be delayed by a month after Mr Dutton sought assurances it did not pose a “national security” risk.

Dr Crompvoets was commissioned by the Defence Department six years ago to provide a report on special forces culture.

RELATED: War crimes expert’s warning to Dutton

An excerpt from the Afghanistan Inquiry Report. Picture:

Earlier this month, news.com.au revealed the Australian Government Solicitor’s group had written to Dr Crompvoets’ publisher, Monash University Publishing’s Louise Adler, with a legal letter raising concerns over the new book on organisational culture.

“I’m concerned about the issue and I’ve sought some legal advice, so I’ll wait until I get that legal advice before I comment further, but I do have real concerns about the whole situation,’’ Mr Dutton told 2GB.

Dr Crompvoets told news.com.au that she welcomed the resolution of the matter.

“The assertion that the book posed any risk to national security, or breached IP, copyright or confidentiality was heavy handed, politically motivated and a personal attack on my integrity and professionalism,” she said.

“I’m pleased the government has decided to sensibly resolve this. Censoring these important conversations is counter to the national interest and the interests of our entire ADF.”

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Canberra-based sociologist Dr Samantha Crompvoets’ book is set to be published in August.

Dr Crompvoets’ own partner is a defence force veteran and she said many soldiers supported the work she was doing.

“I’ve been hugely reassured by the dozens of messages I’ve received from serving and retired members of the ADF. They recognise that in order to be best prepared for the battlefield, the organisation needs to be in peak fighting condition,” she said.

“My partner is a 30 year defence force veteran. I admire our ADF personnel and the sacrifices they make.

“Allegations of war crimes are uncomfortable. Failing to understand why these may have occurred, and ensuring that the same environmental and other factors don’t conspire again to allow this to happen, is a risk to the ADF’s capability.

“The only way we can achieve the fighting force we need to face the challenges of the future is to learn from the past, have the courage to face up to our mistakes, and do everything we can to make sure they never happen again.

Any proceeds she received from the book will be donated to Assistance Dogs Australia, in recognition of the amazing support they provide for ADF personnel suffering PTSD.

Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton previously said he was seeking legal advice over the book. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

Peter Dutton has recently overturned a number of decisions flowing from the war crimes investigation including the decision to strip soldiers of unit citation medals even if they were not involved in the alleged crimes.

“I’ve been very clear about the fact that we want to support, particularly, the officers within the SAS, within the commandos, within the Army and we’ve had an issue that we’ve had to deal with and our priority now is to make sure that the men and women of the Australian Defence Force units – whether they’re here or overseas – need to hear the message very clearly that we want to get them back to business, concentrate on keeping our country safe and secure, not to be distracted by things that have happened in the past, to learn the lessons, but I’ve got real issues in relation to this matter and I’m just exploring that at the moment,’’ Mr Dutton said

Dr Crompvoets has been the target of horrific online abuse on Facebook since the controversy flared with one veteran suggesting she needed to be bashed with a plank of wood.

While Dr Crompvoets declined to discuss the changes forced by Mr Dutton, they are believed to be minor including removing first person references.

It’s believed the Defence Department also wanted the title changed – even though it was taken from the Brereton Report.

The book will now be published on August 1.

Originally published as Australian war crimes book to go ahead despite government pushback