A former high-ranking Catholic cleric, known for hosting alcohol-fuelled gatherings, has been sentenced to at least four and a half years in prison for sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men.
Christopher Alan Saunders, 76, the former Bishop of Broome, was convicted of 13 sexual offences following a jury trial in the Western Australian District Court.
The crimes, committed between 2008 and 2019, comprised one count of sexual penetration without consent and twelve counts of unlawful and indecent assault.
On Wednesday, Saunders received a sentence of six years and six months’ imprisonment.
He will be eligible for parole after serving four years and six months.
Pending the outcome of any appeal, Saunders would become the highest-ranking Catholic official in Australia to be convicted of sexual abuse committed during his clerical career.
The late Cardinal George Pell was convicted in 2018 on similar charges but was subsequently acquitted by the High Court.
The jury acquitted Saunders of six additional charges, including two counts of indecently dealing with a child over 16 under his authority and four counts of unlawful and indecent assault.
A further seven similar charges were dropped during the trial due to insufficient evidence.
The sentence was backdated to August, when Saunders was convicted and taken into custody.
Prosecutors alleged that Saunders, referred to as “Brother B” by his victims, used church-owned properties to host alcohol-fuelled parties to gain access to Aboriginal boys and men for sexual assault.
“The accused had a sexual interest in young Aboriginal men and a tendency to act on that interest when the opportunity presented itself,” prosecutor Adam Ebell told the court.
Ordained as the second Bishop of Broome in 1996, Saunders oversaw 13 schools and nine parishes before stepping aside in 2020 when the allegations surfaced.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation the following year.
An internal church investigation into Saunders was suspended when Western Australia Police began their inquiry.
That investigation is now set to resume following the conclusion of the trial.
“Its findings will inform decisions in Rome about Christopher Saunders’ position in the church,” Archbishop Timothy Costelloe stated in August.
Archbishop Costelloe said the guilty verdicts concerned crimes “that violate the dignity and betray the trust of victims and survivors.”
“The victims, survivors and other witnesses who came forward showed great courage and resilience throughout a long and difficult process,” he added.
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