The emeritus bishop of a large Australian diocese was convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse today, in a key development of a scandal which has been underway for many years.
Following a seven-hour deliberation by the jury at the District Court of Western Australia, Bishop Richard Saunders was convicted of sexual assault of two indigenous men. He was found guilty of a total of 13 out of 19 charges of abuse, in instances which dated from 2008 to 2019 whilst Saunders was in situ as bishop of Broome.
The 76-year-old bishop was found guilty of one instance of sexual penetration without consent, and twelve “unlawful and indecent” assaults. He was acquitted of the remaining six charges, which included two instances of indecent dealings with a child older than 16 but under his authority, and four instances of indecent assault.
The trial lasted three weeks, and sentencing will now take place on September 21, according to the AP, but Saunders will remain behind bars until that time after having not chosen to petition to continue remaining on bail. The bishop had been on bail since his February 2024 charging and arrest by the police.
He had originally been on trial for a total of 30 charges of sexual assault, but 11 of those were removed throughout the course of the trial – seven being due to insufficient evidence presented.
The current bishop of Broome issued a statement after today’s verdict, saying that “we are acutely aware that the victims of this betrayal are not just those who have told their stories to police and before the court.” “The hurt extends to those who have placed their trust in our leadership and our church,” Bishop Tim Norton added.
Saunders was ordained in 1976 for the Diocese of Broome, before being named bishop of his home diocese of Broome in 1995 – a position he held for 25 years. The diocese covers an immense area, being around the size of Turkey, and its Catholic population is predominantly comprised of indigenous peoples.
Today’s conviction marks a key closing chapter in a saga which has dragged on for many years. Allegations against Saunders included widespread abuse of young men, along with misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of diocesan funds to ply his alleged victims with drugs, alcohol and gifts.
Prosecutors during the trial stated that Saunders would use diocesan money to entice young men to his house in Broome, where he would then order them to remove their tops, and sometimes engage in abuse. Saunders had “a sexual interest in young Aboriginal men and a tendency to act on that interest when the opportunity presented itself,” prosecutors stated in the trial.
In March 2020 news broke that in October 2018 two indigenous men had filed reports with the police alleging sexual abuse by Saunders. The Archbishop of Perth responded by saying that Saunders had voluntarily stepped aside from running the diocese while an apostolic visitation was performed, though Saunders reportedly violated Vatican orders to leave the diocese.
Police then dropped the investigation into Saunders in 2021, but his resignation as bishop of the diocese was accepted by Pope Francis on August 28, 2021, with Saunders excusing it for health reasons.
In early 2022 news was spread of a Vatican Vos Estis investigation (concerning sexual abuse) into Saunders – the results of which have never been officially revealed by the Holy See or Church authorities.
However the results were leaked to Australia’s 7News outlet, and reportedly concluded that he sexual abused four individuals and possibly abused or groomed a further 67 boys and men.
The Vatican’s investigation reportedly found that Saunders was spending around $4,000 per month on alcohol for the men he invited round, and amassed a large sum of money – totalling $3 million at one point, spread out over numerous bank accounts.
According to 7News, the Vos Estis investigation dealt with allegations of abuse dating back almost 50 years, with witness describing Saunders as “a sexual predator that seeks to prey upon vulnerable Aboriginal men and boys.”
This prompted renewed scrutiny into Saunder’s past, and the Vos Estis report was sent to the Australian police by the Australian bishops, upon direct request from the law enforcement agencies.
Saunders’ house was raided by police in early 2024, before he was formally arrested and charged the next month. Since that time he faced yet more charges of indecent assault.
He has maintained his innocence throughout, though did plead guilty in 2025 to firearms charges.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.
