Source : Perth Now news
For almost a decade one of Australia’s most “powerful” Catholics gallivanted across remote communities in Western Australia, plying young Aboriginal men and teenage boys with alcohol, cigarettes, steaks and gifts before sexually abusing some.
Disgraced Broome bishop Christopher Saunders, 76, hosted the men at social gatherings at a beach house and a residence owned by the Catholic Church in faraway Kimberley communities.
Saunders demanded they stripped down to nothing more than boxer shorts he supplied, before handing them unlimited amounts of liquor.
He would seat himself across from victims and touch their genitalia with his foot underneath tables.
Saunders grabbed one of his victims hands and placed it on his own genitalia while he tried to kiss them on the mouth.
He orally raped a heavily intoxicated man at a small farm near Kununurra.
While the horrific crimes happened between 2010 and 2019, it was only this week that he was finally sentenced to prison.
How he managed to get away with it for so long has horrified Catholics and the wider community.
Saunders’ move to the Kimberley
Saunders moved to Broome as a deacon in 1975 after showing an interest in Aboriginal affairs and was ordained as a priest the following year.
He spent more than a decade working for the Catholic Church in remote missionaries across the Kimberley region from 1976 to 1988.
He worked in Bidyadanga at La Grange Mission for two years, then went onto Lombadina Mission on the Dampier Peninsula in 1978.
In 1982, he was transferred to Kalumburu, about 550km north-west of Kununurra, before being sent back to Broome in 1989 where he became administrator of the local diocese.
In 1992, he studied at St Paul’s Pontifical University in Ottawa, Canada before returning to Broome in 1994.
The following year, he was appointed bishop of the Broome diocese and ordained in 1996.
He flew around the diocese in a light plane, paid for by the church.
The first allegations of sexual abuse came to light in 2018, but no charges were laid against him.
Rumours continued to swirl about Saunders but it was not until 2020 that media attention about sexual and financial misconduct led to Pope Francis ordering an investigation — the first of its kind in Australia.
Saunders stood down during the Vatican investigation, then resigned from his position as bishop of Broome in 2021 — although he kept his title.
WA Police reopened an investigation into Saunders in 2023 and he was arrested the following year in Bunbury, about 170km south of Perth.
He was finally charged in 2024.
The 17-day trial
Saunders stood trial in the WA District Court this year but did not testify.
During the 17-day trial, two vulnerable men bravely recounted the horror they suffered at the hands of the bishop — a powerful man they trusted.
One of his victims recalled meeting the “big boss in the Catholic Church” when he tagged along with other young men to the bishop’s Broome home.
The bishop told the teenage boy he knew his father and they were close before he died.
Judge Martin Flynn said one of the reasons the teen spent time with the bishop was because he looked after the boys.
“Not only did you supply food and alcohol, you engaged in conversation and took an interest in his life,” the judge said.
“He valued you as ‘Brother B’ someone with moral authority, who supplied companionship.”
Saunders told one victim while he was being assaulted: “Come on, brother. It’s between me and you. No one’s going to find out.”
Another victim was offered $150 to go to the Broome beach house and dig a trench.
The young man agreed and was collected by the bishop from his home.
The bishop stopped on the way to the beach house to buy them alcohol and steak.
Saunders tried to kiss the young man at the beach house, but was told: “Only my partner is allowed to do that.”
The bishop told him it was a “type of brother love” then offered the young man $30, but was reminded of his promise and handed over $100.
The victim told the court the bishop’s unwanted advances were “the icing on the cake” and that he was now “properly smashed in (the) head.”
A jury found Saunders guilty of one count of rape and 12 counts of indecent assault relating to the two men.
He was acquitted of three counts of unlawful and indecent assault relating to a third complainant.
‘I was a toy’: The sentencing
On Wednesday, the disgraced bishop became the highest ranking Catholic to be handed a jail term in Australia over historical sexual abuse.
Saunders was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. He will be eligible for parole in 2031.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, one of the men said: “I trusted him I thought he wanted me to be a better person, but I realised after all these years I was a toy he could use.”
“He’d made me think it was all normal,” the statement continued.
“My head is pounding now, I’m in so much pain.
“I was ashamed of myself, I want to move on but can’t … because it never leaves my head.”
Judge Flynn said Saunders prioritised his own sexual gratification while disregarding the dignity of his victims.
He said there was nothing remarkable about a minister of religion giving gifts to members in need or hosting social gatherings.
But the judge said what was remarkable was a bishop pretending to be an advocate for young Aboriginal men, then giving then unlimited alcohol before initiating unconsensual sexual activity.
“They were intoxicated by alcohol that you supplied,” Judge Flynn said.
“They could not and did not freely voluntary consent to sexual activity initiated by you.”
“The vulnerability of (the victims) to sexual predation … was plain to you.
“The seriousness of your offending is in the harm that you caused to each of the victims, was in the vulnerability of each of those victims, was in what you did to cause harm to them.”
‘Hard work’: The fallout
Tim Murray, a private investigator for the Vatican, told media outside court after the sentencing that the two men should be commended for coming forward.
“The courage that those young men showed is really a credit to them and … I have to give fair credit to the WA police because after a couple of false starts, the last people that brought this man to trial did an absolutely outstanding job,” he said.
“It is hard work to do something like this.
“I just hope the young Indigenous people in the Kimberley can start to heal.
“I really think it’s a good day for Western Australia because it’s very hard to bring such a powerful man like that down.”
WA Police Detective Sergeant Andrew Broadley acknowledged the courage and resilience shown by the complainants and witnesses in the case.
The detective said their willingness to report the offending and remain engaged in a challenging investigation and court process was critical in prosecuting Saunders.
“This matter had a significant impact on many people, and I’d like to thank everyone who came forward and helped us with this investigation over the last three years,” he said.
“It has been incredibly difficult, they summoned an immense amount of courage to make these reports in the first place, and I’m just glad that we had the opportunity to support them … and achieve this outcome.
“This outcome proves that reporting works, and it underscores our commitment to thoroughly investigate allegations of this nature, no matter how much time has passed.
“If anyone wants to make a complaint, then come forward, have a talk with us.”
What the Church had to say
Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, who is also president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said Judge Flynn’s sentence recognised the gravity and serious nature of the offences, as well as the profound impact on the victims and survivors of the crimes.
“Those who came forward to tell their story did so with great courage,” he said.
“They have our admiration and respect. Their journey to justice, marked by today’s sentencing, affirms and honours their resilience and strength.
“But the journey continues, for no court sentence can undo the suffering that has been caused or restore all that each person has lost.
“To each victim and survivor who courageously revealed what they had endured, we want to say this: We are sorry for the pain and suffering that was inflicted on you.
“We are sorry that your trust was so directly and profoundly betrayed by a leader of the Church.
“The journey of the Church must also continue. The crimes for which the former bishop of Broome has been sentenced today are a shocking and shameful reminder of this.
“The bishops of Australia together, and in the name of the Catholic Church in Australia, reaffirm and renew our commitment to the work of healing, reconciliation and renewal; to listening, to learning, and to redoubling our efforts to ensure that safeguarding, accountability and transparency remain at the very heart of the Church’s life and mission.”
