Former Australian Bishop Convicted of Sexually Abusing Two Indigenous Men
A jury convicts ex-bishop Christopher Saunders of sexually abusing two Indigenous men in Western Australia.
A former Catholic bishop in Australia has been convicted of sexually abusing two young Indigenous men, in a case that has drawn renewed attention to the global clergy abuse scandal.
Christopher Saunders, 76, was found guilty on Thursday by a jury in the District Court of Western Australia on 13 of 19 charges. The offenses occurred between 2008 and 2019 in his remote diocese on the country's tropical northwest coast.
Prosecutors said Saunders lured young Indigenous men to his church-owned residence with free alcohol and cigarettes paid for with church funds. He also enforced a house rule requiring male guests to remove their shirts.
The convictions include one count of sexual penetration without consent and a dozen counts of indecent assault. He was acquitted on six other charges, including those involving a third alleged victim and indecent dealing with a child over 16. Under state law, the age of consent rises to 18 when an older person holds a position of trust, power, or responsibility.
Four charges of sexual penetration of a child under 13 were dropped on the first day of the three-week trial.
Saunders led the Broome Diocese from 1996 until his resignation in 2021, following a police announcement that they had dropped an earlier investigation into allegations against him. He had stepped down from governance duties a year earlier after media reports surfaced.
The Vatican launched its own inquiry in 2022 and later handed a 200-page report to Western Australia Police, which led to his arrest in 2024. Although the report was never officially released, leaked details suggested Saunders may have assaulted four Indigenous youths and groomed dozens more.
Saunders is among the most senior Australian Catholics convicted in the ongoing abuse crisis. Cardinal George Pell and Archbishop Philip Wilson were also convicted, but both successfully appealed.
A national inquiry previously found that 7% of Australian Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing children between 1950 and 2010.