Facts
In 2012, Schulz was deployed in Afghanistan with the Australian Defence Force. He is accused of shooting an Afghan civilian in the head and the heart while the civilian was laying on the ground in a wheat field after being mauled by a dog in the Afghan province of Uruzgan.
Schulz was awarded the Commendation for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan.
In March 2020, ABC News released footage of the Afghan civilian being shot by an Australian soldier in a wheat field in Uruzgan.
Procedure
In 2016, the inspector-general of the Australian Defense Force started an inquiry regarding alleged war crimes by Australian forces in Afghanistan.
In November 2020, the inspector-general released his report (known as the Brereton Report), which found credible information that members of the Australian Special Forces had committed war crimes during their operations in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016. In particular, it recommended that 19 current or ex-special forces soldiers should be investigated by police over killings of prisoners or civilians from 2009 to 2013.
These accusations led to the establishment in 2021 of the Office of the Special Investigator, responsible for reviewing the potential criminal matters raised in the Brereton Report and investigating together with the Australian Federal Police any breaches of the laws of armed conflict by members of the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2016.
In March 2023, the Office of the Special Investigator announced that a joint investigation with the police resulted in Schulz being charged with the war crime of murder. Investigators arrested the 41-year-old man in New South Wales and he was initially remanded in custody. On 28 March, Schulz was granted bail. Once his charge is confirmed by a magistrate, the case will be sent to trial.
During a hearing on 14 May 2024, additional evidence was submitted to the magistrate, resulting in adjournment until September. At the September 2024 hearing, prosecutors informed the local court that they would file an application for witnesses to be called for the case’s committal stage, during which the magistrate will determine whether the defendant should be committed to trial. A five-day hearing has been set for April 2025.
On 20 August 2025, the local court Magistrate committed Oliver Schulz to stand trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court.