Former Australian bishop jailed for sexually abusing young men

Former Australian bishop Christopher Saunders has been jailed for sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men during his time as a Catholic cleric.

Saunders - who resigned as Bishop of Broome when first accused of wrongdoing in 2020 - was found guilty of one charge of rape and 12 counts of indecent assault in August.

The 76-year-old was on Wednesday sentenced to six and a half years in prison, but will be eligible for release on parole in February 2031.

He is one of the most senior Catholic leaders in the world to face sex abuse charges.

His trial in the state of Western Australia heard Saunders systematically groomed the two young men, inviting them to "shirts-off" gatherings and plying them with alcohol, often using church funds and church-owned properties to do so.

He was convicted of kissing and molesting the men between 2010 and 2019, and in one instance forcing oral sex on one of them.

Saunders was acquitted by the jury of alleged offences against a third young man.

In a victim impact statement provided to the court, that young man said he struggled to talk about what had happened.

"I was a toy that he was using," the victim said. "My head is pounding now, I'm in so much pain."

First ordained in 1976, Saunders spent most of his career in the remote Kimberley region in the nation's north-west corner, and was appointed Bishop of Broome in 1996.

The diocese stretches about 770,000 sq km (297,000 sq miles) - an area roughly the size of Turkey - and encompasses some of the most remote parts of the country.

District Court Judge Martin Flynn said Saunders had "disregarded the dignity" of his victims and caused them lasting harm.

In a statement, Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe said the men who had come forward had shown great courage and resilience in pursuing justice.

"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," he said.

"No court sentence can undo the suffering that has been caused or restore all that each person has lost."

The accusations were first aired in 2020, but the initial police investigation that followed was closed without charge.

However after a historic inquiry was ordered by the Pope, police began a new investigation.

Costelloe has previously said the church's investigation into Saunders - paused when police resumed theirs - will restart.

The church is under pressure to strip Saunders of his remaining title and ministry powers, a decision the Archbishop said would be determined by Rome.

Only a handful of "Vos Estis Lux Mundi" - meaning "You Are the Light of the World" in Latin - inquiries have been undertaken around the world.

The investigations are commissioned by the pontiff and were introduced in 2019 to combat sexual abuse and hold bishops and other high-ranking Catholic Church officials accountable for their actions.

Aside from the late Cardinal George Pell, who was jailed and then acquitted, Saunders is the most senior Catholic official in the country to be charged with sex offences.