Give time for ‘shameful episode’ to be investigated, Richard Marles says

Defence Minister Richard Marles has urged patience as federal police investigate alleged war crimes by Australian troops in Afghanistan.

A probe into alleged war crimes by Australian troops in Afghanistan must be given time to run its course, Defence Minister Richard Marles has said.

The Office of the Special Investigator is working with federal police to investigate allegations of criminal offences by ADF members in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2016.

The acting prime minister said it was important investigators were given time to follow through on evidence unearthed by former NSW judge Paul Brereton.

Mr Marles called it a shameful episode in our military history. Photo: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

“It is dealing with a shameful episode in Australia’s military history,” Mr Marles told Sky News on Sunday.

“It matters in terms of who we are as a nation, who we are as a people, that our country deals with this itself.”

Mr Marles refused to put a timeline on when Australians could expect charges to be laid, when asked.

“What I'd commit to is that we will follow this through to its completion in the timeliness that has been set out,” he said.

“There is going to be no stepping back in relation to this because it is a fundamentally important process for who we are as a people.”

But Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie, who served in the special forces, said he wanted the process wrapped up.

Mr Hastie said he wants the process wrapped up. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

“We want to see this resolved,” he told Sky News.

“We don’t want to see young soldiers who had nothing to do with events in Afghanistan being tarred with the same brush.

“So hopefully this will be wrapped up soon and we can turn the page completely and start a new chapter for our special forces.”

The Brereton inquiry found “credible” evidence of war crimes by special forces while serving in Afghanistan, including 39 murders and cruel treatment of two others.

Originally published as Give time for ‘shameful episode’ to be investigated, Richard Marles says