Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith vigorously denies Fairfax allegations

Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has vigorously denied allegations of domestic violence, labelling them “a catalogue of lies and fabrications’’.

VC winner Ben Roberts-Smith has issued a defiant statement denying allegations of domestic violence. Picture: Peter Wallis

Australia’s most decorated war hero, Ben Roberts-Smith, has issued a defiant statement denying allegations of domestic violence and attacking what he described as a “malicious’’ and unfounded campaign of character assassination.

Mr Roberts-Smith said he “unequivocally’’ denied Fairfax Media reports today that he had been the subject of a domestic violence complaint following a function in Canberra’s Parliament House on March 28, 2016.

According to Fairfax, the incident was reported to the police.

Mr Roberts-Smith described the story as “a catalogue of lies, fabrications and misrepresentations’’.

“It is the culmination of many months of malicious and highly damaging allegations, all of which will be vigorously defended,’’ Mr Roberts Smith said. “I do want to say today that I unequivocally deny any physical abuse of any woman at any time ever, and that I have not at any stage been interviewed by Police about any purported complaint by any woman.’’

Mr Roberts-Smith is Australia’s most decorated war veteran having won the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth’s highest bravery honour, and the Medal for Gallantry, both for his service in Afghanistan while serving as a trooper with the elite SASR.

Fairfax also accused Mr Roberts-Smith of bullying, abuse of Afghan detainees and of assaulting another SASR operator following a friendly fire incident.

It came as the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force neared the end of his two-year secret investigation into allegations members of Australia’s Special Forces community breached the laws of war during the decade-long fight in Afghanistan.

Mr Roberts-Smith, who now works as General Manager for the Seven Network in Queensland, said he was deeply troubled that “alleged evidence’’ given to the IGADF inquiry had been leaked.

“Not only is it illegal, it is unfair to people who haven’t given evidence and it has the potential to undermine the fairness of the inquiry,’’ he said. “If and when I am given the opportunity to defend each specific allegation, I am very confident that direct witnesses will categorically demonstrate the falsity of them all.”