A retired Australian Catholic bishop has been sentenced to six and a half years behind bars after being convicted of sexually abusing two young Indigenous men.
Christopher Saunders, 76, previously served as the Bishop of Broome before stepping down from his post in 2020 following the emergence of allegations against him. Following a legal trial in Western Australia, a jury found him guilty in August of one count of rape and a dozen charges of indecent assault.
The court proceedings revealed that the former cleric carefully manipulated his victims, hosting gatherings where participants removed their shirts and providing them with alcohol. Evidence showed he frequently relied on ecclesiastical financial resources and church buildings to facilitate the abuse.
The offenses took place over a nine-year period spanning from 2010 to 2019. During this timeframe, the cleric subjected the individuals to unwanted kissing and touching, culminating in an instance of forced oral sex.
Although prosecutors initially brought forward child sex abuse allegations as well, those specific counts were ultimately dropped prior to the trial phase. Jurors also cleared the defendant of separate accusations involving a third individual.
In a statement read to the court, the third individual described the profound emotional toll of the ordeal and the difficulty of speaking about the trauma. The statement characterized the experience as being treated merely as an object for another person's gratification, noting ongoing pain and distress.
Saunders will be eligible to seek release on parole in February 2031. He stands as one of the highest-ranking figures within the global Catholic hierarchy to face criminal charges related to sexual misconduct.
Having received his initial ordination in 1976, the former bishop spent the bulk of his professional life stationed in the isolated Kimberley territory located in Australia's northwestern sector. He attained the position of Bishop of Broome in 1996, overseeing a vast diocese spanning approximately 770,000 square kilometers, an expanse comparable in size to Turkey.
Initial allegations surfaced publicly in 2020, though a preliminary law enforcement inquiry concluded at that time without resulting in criminal charges. The case gained renewed momentum after the Vatican ordered an ecclesiastical review under special procedures established by the Pope in 2019 to ensure accountability for senior church officials. This rare papal directive prompted local authorities to reopen their criminal investigation, eventually leading to the prosecution and conviction.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
