(AUSTRALIA)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC [Sydney, Australia]
September 20, 2023
By Vanessa Mills, Gareth McKnight, and Keane Bourke
Police say they are considering a criminal investigation into a West Australian Catholic bishop accused of sexual misconduct, in light of a leaked Vatican report that levels serious allegations against him.
Key points:
- Catholic Bishop Christopher Saunders has been accused of sexual misconduct in a Vatican report
- Leaked extracts allege the Bishop committed sexual abuse, financial misconduct
- Police and the Attorney-General have asked the Vatican to hand over the full report
The Vatican commissioned an investigation into long-time Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders, with extracts of the 200-page report published by Channel 7 and The Australian this week.
Allegations against Bishop Saunders include that he sexually assaulted four teenagers and young men, potentially groomed another 67 and used church funds to purchase alcohol for Indigenous youth.
Bishop Saunders has been based in the Kimberley for almost 50 years and has denied any wrongdoing.
WA Police had previously investigated allegations of sexual and professional misconduct against Bishop Saunders, but closed their investigation without charging him.
The investigation, code-named Operation White Plane, commenced in October 2018 but police and prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges due to a lack of evidence.
Attorney-General wants report handed over
WA Police Deputy Commissioner Allan Adams told ABC Radio Perth the force had requested a copy of the Vatican report from Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe.
“I know Mr Costelloe is doing his best to get hold of a copy for us in the very short term,” he said.
“It’s commissioned by the Vatican so you can appreciate that, and I don’t want to talk about church politics, but he has told me that he will do everything in his power to get me a copy of that report.
“We are extremely keen to see the report.”
Commissioner Adams said no new allegations against Bishop Saunders had been reported to police since mid-2021.
Attorney-General John Quigley also called on the Vatican to hand the report to WA Police.
“Anyone with evidence of [alleged] child abuse has an obligation to inform the police,” he said outside Parliament this morning.
“If the Catholic Church … has evidence of matters of [alleged] child abuse of course they’ve got to be handed over.”
Mr Quigley said he did not have enough information to say whether the Church could be in breach of the state’s mandatory reporting laws, which extended to cover priests last year, but indicated it could be a matter for police to consider.
“They’ve called for the papers and I’m just watching development in that regard,” he said.
In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, WA Police said their earlier investigations were “thorough”.
“WA Police carried out two thorough investigations into a number of complaints regarding a member of the Catholic Church in the Kimberley region between 2018 and 2020,” they said in a statement.
“The investigations were completed and resourced in line with agency investigative standards and practices,” a spokesperson said,
“After consultation, it was deemed there was insufficient evidence to prefer criminal charges”
Former priest says bishop should be defrocked
Former Kimberley Priest Matt Digges left the ministry after working 20 years under Bishop Saunders.
Mr Digges said in his opinion, the seriousness of the allegations that have been made against the Bishop Emeritus warrant defrocking him.
He told the ABC that he had been aware of allegations against Bishop Saunders during his time in the Kimberley, but said the allegations contained within the Vatican report were “far worse”.
“[I feel] An intense visceral sadness. There’s a sadness that that’s very deep within me.
“The church can use this as a moment for reform.”
“What I would like is for the Holy Father to instigate actions to remove him [Bishop Saunders] from any anything to do with the Catholic Church.
“The first step in that would be the process that’s commonly known as defrocking, a forced laicisation. That would be a good start.”
The ABC has attempted to contact Bishop Saunders.