Former Broome bishop Christopher Saunders is jailed for more than six years for sexually abusing young Aboriginal men
A Western Australian court jailed Christopher Saunders, the former Catholic Bishop of Broome, for more than six years on October 7. A District Court jury found him guilty in August of 13 of 19 charges, one of sexual penetration without consent and 12 of indecent assault, and acquitted him of six. The victims were young Indigenous men in the Kimberley, and prosecutors said he hosted alcohol-fuelled gatherings to draw them in. He did not apply for bail after the verdict. The non-parole period was not available to us.
It is rare for a bishop to be convicted, and the case sits within a broader reckoning over how the Church treated people in remote communities.
If you or someone you know was abused, Bravehearts, 13YARN and Blue Knot offer support lines.
The sentence can be appealed. For now the facts are the jury's verdict and the court's sentence.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 3 · Morning · WED., OCT. 7, 2026