Reporting of an alleged domestic violence incident was"one of the lowest blows I have ever seen,"he said,adding in comments toThe Australian,"I am very concerned that if the media pursuit of Ben Roberts-Smith and others continues … we run the risk of becoming a people unworthy of such sacrifice”.
Of Mr Roberts-Smith's war service,Dr Nelson told radio 2GB,“I don’t doubt that what you and I might think,in the cold,hard light of day,that bad things have happened. War is a messy business.
"But as far as I’m concerned,unless there have been the most egregious breaches of laws of armed conflict,we should leave it all alone."
Mr Roberts-Smith was"by any standard,one of the greatest Australians ... I stand with him. I stand with the men and the SAS. I stand with their families,their widows and their children,"Dr Nelson said.
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But military historian Professor Peter Stanley at the University of NSW disagreed,saying:"We need to know the truth,whatever it is."
"As a nation,our commitment to honesty and accountability should impel us to acknowledge our defenders'actions in war – whatever they may be – and to decide on consequences with compassion for both victims and perpetrators".