Former Australian Bishop Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Sexually Abusing Aboriginal Men

Christopher Alan Saunders, the former Catholic bishop of Broome in Western Australia, has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men during his time as a member of the clergy.

Saunders, 76, was found guilty of 13 sex offences following a jury trial in the West Australian District Court. He will spend at least four and a half years behind bars before becoming eligible for release.

The case makes Saunders the highest-ranked Catholic clergy member in Australia to be convicted of sexual abuse, according to reporting on the verdict. Saunders had previously been known for hosting lavish social gatherings during his time as a senior figure in the Catholic Church in Australia.

The sentencing adds to a series of prosecutions involving historical sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in Australia, which has prompted continued scrutiny of the church's handling of abuse allegations over past decades.

Details of the specific circumstances behind the trial have not been fully disclosed beyond the verdict and sentencing outcome reported by the court.