Former Broome bishop Christopher Saunders convicted of sexually abusing two young men
A former Catholic bishop who once ranked among Australia’s most senior clergy has been convicted of sexually abusing two young men in Western Australia’s remote
A former Catholic bishop who once ranked among Australia’s most senior clergy has been convicted of sexually abusing two young men in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region. Christopher Alan Saunders, 76, now faces custody ahead of his next court appearance next month.
The District Court jury took almost seven hours to return its verdict after a trial that ran for more than three weeks. Saunders was found guilty of one count of sexual penetration and 12 counts of indecent assault. He was acquitted of six other charges.
Verdict after three-week trial
There was no visible reaction from Saunders when the verdicts were read out. He was taken into custody after the hearing.
The case centred on allegations that the former Bishop of Broome abused three young men while he held one of the Catholic Church’s most senior posts in a vast diocese on Australia’s tropical northwest coast. The offences were alleged to have taken place over several years while he led the remote region, which spans an area larger than England.
Short. Sharp. Damning.
A senior figure in the church
Saunders was ordained as the second Bishop of Broome in 1996 and later oversaw 13 schools and nine parishes. He stepped aside in 2020 after the abuse claims became public, and Pope Francis accepted his resignation a year later.
At the height of his influence, he was among the most senior and longest-serving Catholic clerics in the country. The conviction now places him among the most prominent Australian church figures found guilty of sex offences while serving in the clergy, unless he is cleared on appeal.
Focus on Indigenous victims
The men at the centre of the case were young Aboriginal men from the Kimberley, where Indigenous people make up more than 40% of the population. Prosecutors alleged Saunders exploited his position of trust and authority. A separate report on the trial said he was accused of luring young Indigenous men to a church-owned house with free alcohol and cigarettes, and of hosting shirts-off gatherings there.
One Australian bishop, Michael Morrissey of Geraldton, also gave evidence for the prosecution during the trial.
Saunders was acquitted of charges involving a third alleged victim and other historical allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for next month.
