Australian jury convicts ex-Catholic bishop of sexually abusing 2 men

A jury in the District Court of Western Australia has convicted former Catholic bishop Christopher Saunders, 76, of 13 charges of sexual abuse against two young Indigenous men. The abuse allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2019 within his diocese on the northwest coast of Australia. Prosecutors stated that Saunders used free alcohol and cigarettes, funded by the church, to lure the young men to his church-owned house. House rules reportedly required male guests to remove their shirts.

A jury in Western Australia convicted former Catholic Bishop Christopher Saunders, 76, of 13 charges of sexual abuse against two young Indigenous men. The abuse allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2019 in his diocese. Prosecutors claimed Saunders used alcohol and cigarettes, paid for with church funds, to lure the men to his home, where house rules required male guests to remove their shirts. Saunders was acquitted of six other charges. He is one of the most senior Catholic figures in Australia to be convicted amid a global clergy abuse scandal. Saunders resigned as Bishop of Broome in 2021, a year after stepping down from governance following media reports of the allegations. A Vatican investigation and subsequent police inquiry led to his charging in 2024.

Former Catholic bishop Christopher Alan Saunders has been found guilty of 13 sex offences in the West Australian District Court. The convictions stem from sexual abuse of two young Aboriginal men between 2008 and 2019, including one count of sexual penetration without consent and twelve unlawful and indecent assault charges. Prosecutors alleged Saunders hosted alcohol-fuelled parties at church properties to gain access to Aboriginal boys and men for sexual assault, exploiting a power imbalance. Saunders, 76, stepped aside as Bishop of Broome in 2020 when the claims emerged and his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis a year later. He was acquitted of six other charges.