A Western Australian court jailed a former Catholic bishop for more than six years on Wednesday after he sexually abused young men.

Christopher Alan Saunders, the former bishop of Broome, served as one of Australia’s most senior Catholics for decades before his fall from grace.

The court sentenced him to six years and six months in prison, backdated to 12 August. A jury found him guilty in August of one count of sexual penetration without consent and 12 counts of unlawful and indecent assault.

Victim speaks out

One victim said in a statement read to the court: “I was a toy that he was using… my head is pounding now, I’m in so much pain.”

“I can’t talk about it,” the person said in the statement, national broadcaster ABC reported.

Two decades at Broome Diocese

Saunders presided over the Diocese of Broome for more than 20 years. The sweeping coastal region in northwest Australia contains dozens of remote Aboriginal communities.

He stepped down as bishop in 2020 when Australian media first reported allegations of sexual abuse against him. However, he kept the honorary title of emeritus bishop.

Vatican probe reopened police case

Police first investigated Saunders but did not find enough evidence to charge him. The clergyman denied all accusations at the time.

Persistent rumours about Saunders prompted the Vatican to launch its own investigation in 2022. The church used sweeping powers that the late Pope Francis established.

The Vatican created the “Vos estis lux mundi” powers in 2019 to help the church investigate sexual abuse accusations at the highest levels. The Latin phrase means “You are the light of the world”.

The church later shared its confidential findings with police, who reopened their investigation.

Church apologises to victims

Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, issued a statement after the sentencing. He acknowledged the “profound impact on the victims and survivors of these crimes”.

“To each victim and survivor who courageously revealed what they had endured, we want to say this: 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.

“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.”

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