A jury in Perth, Australia convicted Christopher Saunders, a 76-year-old former Catholic bishop, of 13 out of 19 charges related to the sexual abuse of two young Indigenous men. The alleged offenses took place between 2008 and 2019 during Saunders’ tenure leading the Broome Diocese, a remote region in Western Australia covering an area larger than France.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Saunders used church funds to provide alcohol and cigarettes to attract young Indigenous men to a church-owned residence in the tourist town of Broome. The prosecution argued that Saunders maintained house rules requiring male guests to remove their shirts and claimed he had developed a pattern of acting on sexual interest in young Aboriginal men when opportunity arose. The convictions included one count of sexual penetration without consent and twelve counts of indecent assault.
Saunders was acquitted of six charges, including allegations involving a third alleged victim. Four additional charges of sexual penetration of a child under 13 were dropped during the trial. His defense lawyer acknowledged that Saunders had hosted gatherings described as “boozy parties” where attendees removed clothing, but argued such conduct was unconventional and inappropriate rather than sexual in nature.
Saunders led the Broome Diocese from 1996 until his resignation in 2019, stepping down from governance responsibilities a year earlier following media reports of the allegations. A Vatican investigation begun in 2022 produced a 200-page report that was later provided to Australian police. The current Bishop of Broome issued a statement following the verdicts acknowledging harm to victims and those who had placed trust in church leadership. Saunders remains one of the most senior Australian Catholic clergy members to face conviction in a period marked by widespread allegations of abuse within the church globally.
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