A former Australian Catholic bishop has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison for sexually abusing two young Indigenous men. Christopher Alan Saunders, 76, was sentenced in the District Court of Western Australia after a jury convicted him in August of 13 of 19 sexual abuse charges.
The convicted offences occurred between 2008 and 2019 in the Broome Diocese, a remote region of tropical northwest Australia. They included one count of sexual penetration without consent and 12 counts of unlawful and indecent assault.
One of the victims described the lasting harm in a statement read to the court: "I was a toy that he was using... my head is pounding now, I'm in so much pain."
Prosecutors alleged Saunders used church resources to gain access to young Aboriginal men, luring them to church-owned properties with alcohol and cigarettes paid for with church funds. The court heard the assaults took place at several locations, including his church-owned residence and a retreat known as the "beach house".
Saunders was acquitted of six charges involving a third accuser, including two counts of indecently dealing with a child over 16 under his authority. Four charges involving a child younger than 13 were dropped on the first day of the three-week trial.
The sentence was backdated to August, when Saunders was convicted and taken into custody. He will be eligible for parole in February 2031, after serving four and a half years.
Saunders led the Broome Diocese from 1996 until he stepped aside in 2020, with his resignation accepted a year later. Unless acquitted on appeal, he would be the highest-ranking Catholic in Australia convicted of sexual abuse over his time as a member of the clergy. Earlier convictions against Cardinal George Pell and Archbishop Philip Wilson were both overturned on appeal.
The Vatican began investigating Saunders in 2022 under its "Vos estis lux mundi" powers, and shared its findings with Western Australia Police in 2023. Police then re-opened their investigation and charged Saunders in 2024.
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, apologised on behalf of Australia's bishops. "We are sorry for the pain and suffering that was inflicted on you," he said in a statement. "We are sorry that your trust was so directly and profoundly betrayed by a leader of the Church."
Costelloe said the sentence recognised "the gravity and serious nature of the offences, as well as the profound impact on the victims and survivors of these crimes". He added that the Church would redouble its efforts on safeguarding, accountability and transparency.
What is confirmed: Saunders has been convicted of 13 sexual abuse charges involving two young Indigenous men and sentenced to six years and six months, with parole eligibility in February 2031.
What remains unknown: Whether Saunders will appeal the convictions; no appeal has been confirmed. The Vatican's internal Church investigation, suspended during the police process, is set to resume.
What is awaited: Decisions from Rome about Saunders' future position in the Church, and any further statements from the victims or the Diocese of Broome.
Sources: NBC News, ABC News Australia, The Guardian, Malay Mail, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Vatican News