Former bishop of Australian diocese convicted of sex abuse

The District Court of Western Australia jury convicted Christopher Saunders, 76, of 13 out of 19 charges of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2019 in Broome Diocese. The convictions included one count of sexual penetration without consent and a dozen indecent assaults.

Saunders was acquitted of six charges that included a third alleged victim and indecent dealing with a child over the age of 16. While the age of consent in the state is 16, the law raises the effective age of consent to 18 if an older person is in a position of trust, power or responsibility.

Four charges of sexual penetration of a child younger than 13 years were dropped on the first day of Saunders’ three-week trial.

Saunders led Broome Diocese from 1996 until he resigned in 2021. His resignation followed a police announcement that they had dropped a criminal investigation into sexual allegations against him.

Saunders had stood down from the Church governance role a year earlier after news media reported the allegations. The Vatican began its own investigation into Saunders in 2022 then handed the Western Australia Police Force a 200-page report on its findings the following year. Police reopened the criminal investigation and charged Saunders in 2024.

Saunders has been taken into custody until his next court appearance next month, the ABC reported.

FULL STORY

Australian jury convicts former Catholic bishop of sexually abusing 2 men | Crux (CruxNow/Associated Press)

Former Broome bishop Christopher Saunders guilty of sexually abusing young men (ABC)

RELATED STORY

Statement from the President on the Christopher Saunders case (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference)