Australian bishop sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for violence

Perth District Court has sentenced Christopher Saunders, a former bishop of the Catholic Church in Australia, to six and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting young men. According to ABC News, Saunders became one of the highest-ranking Catholic clerics in the world convicted of such actions.

Christopher Saunders was Bishop of Broome in Western Australia from 1996 to 2020. As the investigation established, visiting remote communities, the bishop invited young people and teenagers to his residence to parties with alcohol. He gave them gifts and money and encouraged them to engage in sexual activities.

In 2018, his secretary, Cheryl Quilty, notified the police of what was happening. In 2020, the bishop was charged with the first charges that led to his resignation. But then the investigation was closed for lack of evidence. Thanks to an internal investigation initiated by Pope Francis, numerous evidence of Saunders' guilt has been found.

In August 2026, he was found guilty of rape and 12 counts of indecent assault against two young Aboriginal men. The court ruled that Saunders had verbally positioned himself as an advocate for the rights of Australia’s indigenous peoples, but in fact “grossly trampled on the dignity of those who trusted him and abused his power.” He will be eligible for parole no earlier than February 2031.

Alena Miklashevskaya