Bishop Christopher Saunders

The trial of Bishop Christopher Saunders has begun in Western Australia. The retired Bishop of Broome, 76, has pleaded not guilty to 26 charges relating to the alleged sexual abuse of three young Aboriginal males between 2008 and 2017 Bishop Christopher Saunders, the retired Bishop of Broome, has gone on trial in Western Australia charged with 26 offences relating to the alleged sexual abuse of three young Aboriginal males between 2008 and 2017. Bishop Saunders, 76, has pleaded not guilty to all charges before the District Court. The allegations concern the period during which he served as Bishop of Broome, a position he held from 1995 until his resignation in 2021 after the allegations first became public. Opening the prosecution’s case, prosecutor Adam Ebell told the jury that the State would argue Bishop Saunders cultivated relationships with vulnerable Aboriginal youths through gatherings where alcohol and cigarettes were freely supplied before allegedly committing sexual offences. “During that time, it is the State’s case that the accused sexually offended against multiple young Aboriginal males in different ways at different locations across the Kimberley,” Mr Ebell said. According to the prosecution, the gatherings became a means of obtaining access to young Aboriginal men. “These parties provided the accused with access to young Aboriginal men,” Mr Ebell told the court. Jurors heard that the gatherings allegedly followed particular routines, with attendees frequently instructed to remove most of their clothing and remain in boxer shorts. Those who did not have boxer shorts were allegedly provided with new pairs by Bishop Saunders. The prosecution further alleged that boxing matches and wrestling were encouraged during these gatherings, allowing Bishop Saunders to grapple with and touch those present. The court also heard allegations that Bishop Saunders at times indecently touched alleged victims using his feet. Mr Ebell argued that Bishop Saunders exploited both his status as bishop and the trust associated with his office. “The State says the accused, who took a vow of celibacy in 1975, had a sexual interest in young men and had a propensity to act when the opportunity presented itself,” the prosecutor told the jury. Most of the charges relate to one alleged victim who was said to have been around 16 years old when the alleged abuse began. According to the prosecution, the offending continued over several years into the complainant’s twenties. Among the incidents described in court was an allegation that Bishop Saunders supplied alcohol to the teenager before repeatedly sexually abusing him while the pair were camping. Another allegation concerns an incident at the bishop’s residence after the two had showered together. The prosecution also alleged that investigators later discovered a photograph of the semi-naked complainant on Bishop Saunders’ mobile telephone. The court further heard allegations that alcohol purchased using Church funds was transported into a dry Aboriginal community for young men to consume. The trial is the latest stage in a controversy that has surrounded the former bishop for several years. The allegations first emerged publicly following a lengthy investigation by 7NEWS Australia, which began reporting in 2020 that Western Australia Police had been investigating historical allegations involving Bishop Saunders under “Operation White Plane”. Bishop Saunders voluntarily stood aside from his position while inquiries continued. Although the initial police investigation concluded without criminal charges, the Holy See subsequently authorised a canonical investigation under the provisions of Vos estis lux mundi , Pope Francis’s framework establishing procedures for investigating allegations against bishops. The Vatican inquiry produced an independent report of approximately 200 pages, completed in 2023. Although intended to remain confidential, details were later leaked to Australian media. According to those reports, the canonical investigation concluded that Bishop Saunders had “likely sexually assaulted four youths while potentially grooming another 67”. The report further stated, “The bishop has been variously described by witnesses as … a sexual predator that seeks to prey upon vulnerable Aboriginal men and boys.” It also alleged that vulnerable young Aboriginal males had been groomed through gifts including alcohol, cash, mobile telephones, phone credit, accommodation and travel and that thousands of dollars were spent each month on alcohol for the young men. Publication of details from the Vatican-commissioned report in September 2023 reignited public debate over the handling of the allegations. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook publicly urged the Vatican to release the report to investigators, saying, “We want the Vatican to give the information they have to WA police so they can take their inquiries forward.” Within days, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, confirmed that the Church had complied with a police request. “Following yesterday’s request from the Western Australia Police, the Church is taking immediate steps to provide them a copy of the Vatican-initiated report into Bishop Christopher Saunders,” Archbishop Costelloe said. The bishops’ conference later clarified that the Church immediately agreed to police access to the report and delivered it to Western Australia Police within two days of the request. “At no point did the Church oppose the provision of the report to WA Police. To portray the discussions as in any way adversarial is false,” the conference said in a subsequent statement. The statement also explained that the canonical investigation examined alleged offences under Vos estis lux mundi together with possible breaches of the Church’s Integrity in Ministry protocols. The bishops’ conference further disclosed that Bishop Saunders had declined to cooperate with the Church’s investigation. “The Church can confirm that Bishop Saunders refused to leave the Diocese and chose not to participate in the Church’s investigation within the deadline of six months initially stipulated by the Vatican.” The conference also maintained that mandatory reporting obligations relating to minors had been observed and that no alleged victims identified during the canonical inquiry had at that stage been confirmed as being under the age of 18. The subsequent criminal proceedings, however, include allegations concerning a complainant who was allegedly 16 when the offending began. Following publication of the canonical report in September 2023, Archbishop Costelloe described the allegations as “very serious and deeply distressing, especially for those making the allegations.” “The Catholic Church’s investigation into allegations against Bishop Saunders could not commence until the Western Australia Police Force concluded its inquiries,” Archbishop Costelloe said at the time. The archbishop explained that the investigation had been established by the Holy See, overseen by Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane and entrusted to an independent specialist investigations organisation. The Archbishop added that Bishop Saunders, “who has maintained his innocence, is able to respond to the report by communicating directly with the Holy See”, while expressing hope that “after what has been a long and painful process for so many, it is important that a just and authoritative finding be made.” When Bishop Saunders was formally charged in February 2024, Archbishop Costelloe again stressed the seriousness of the allegations. “Allegations against the former Bishop of Broome, Christopher Saunders, are very serious and deeply distressing, especially for those making those allegations,” the Archbishop of Perth said. The president of the conference added, “It is right and proper, and indeed necessary, that all such allegations be thoroughly investigated.” Bishop Saunders, who continues to deny all allegations, resigned as Bishop of Broome in 2021 after leading the diocese for more than a quarter of a century.