(AUSTRALIA)
Catholic Herald [London, England]
October 8, 2026
By Michael Haynes
Bishop Christopher Saunders was handed a term of six and a half years in jail on October 7, guilty of abusing two young men.
A retired Australian bishop was given a six and a half year jail sentence this week, after being found guilty of sexually abusing two men.
Bishop Christopher Saunders, 76, was handed down a term of six and a half years in jail on October 7, with the former bishop of Broome only becoming eligible for parole in February 2031 after he will have served four year and four months.
As the Catholic Herald reported in August, Saunders was convicted of sexual assault of two indigenous men, during his trial in the District Court of Western Australia. He was found guilty of a total of 13 out of 19 charges of abuse, in instances which dated from 2008 to 2019 whilst Saunders was in situ in the Diocese of Broome.
Saunders was judged guilty of one instance of sexual penetration without consent, and twelve “unlawful and indecent” assaults. He was acquitted of the remaining six charges, which included two instances of indecent dealings with a child older than 16 under his authority, and four instances of indecent assault.
Prior to his guilty verdict on August 13, Saunders had been on bail since his February 2024 charging and arrest by the police, but since the verdict was given, he has been held in custody.
Responding to Wednesday’s news, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe – president of the Australian bishops’ conference – said the sentence recognises “the gravity and serious nature of the offences, as well as the profound impact on the victims and survivors of these crimes.”
He praised the victims who testified as having acted “with great courage” and having the Australian bishops’ “admiration and respect”. “Their journey to justice, marked by today’s sentencing, affirms and honours their resilience and strength,” said Costelloe.
Costelloe added that “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.”
Ordained in 1976 for the Diocese of Broome, Saunders was named bishop of Broome in 1995 and governed the vast see for 25 years.
Allegations against him had been widespread, with Saunders described as having a sexual interest in aboriginal men. A Vatican investigation reportedly found that Saunders was spending around $4,000 per month on alcohol for the men he invited round to his home to then groom and abuse and amassed a large sum of money – totalling $3 million at one point, spread out over numerous bank accounts.
Though the Vatican’s investigation has never been made public it was leaked to 7News outlet, prompting Australian police to request and receive the results of the investigation from the Vatican.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.