Former Catholic bishop sentenced for abusing indigenous men in Australia
Summary
Christopher Saunders, a former Catholic bishop in Western Australia, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for sexually abusing two Indigenous men between 2010 and 2019. The abuse involved grooming the victims, providing them with alcohol and gifts, and assaulting them while intoxicated.Key Facts
- Christopher Saunders served as bishop of Broome in northwestern Australia.
- He was convicted of one count of sexual penetration without consent and 12 counts of indecent assault.
- The crimes occurred between 2010 and 2019.
- Saunders was sentenced by the District Court of Western Australia and showed no reaction during sentencing.
- He has consistently denied the allegations.
- Archbishop Timothy Costelloe apologized for the abuse and betrayal of trust by Saunders.
- Saunders resigned in 2021 after the allegations were made public; Pope Francis accepted his resignation.
- Australia’s 2013 Royal Commission found widespread child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, reporting thousands of incidents from 1950 to 2010.
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