Breaking: One of Australia's most senior Catholics guilty of sexually abusing young men

Christopher Alan Saunders, a former Bishop of Broome and a once-senior Catholic cleric in Australia, has been found guilty of sexually abusing multiple young Aboriginal men. A District Court jury delivered the verdict after a trial lasting over three weeks, convicting the 76-year-old on one count of sexual penetration and 12 counts of indecent assault.

Saunders, who served as Bishop of Broome for 25 years, was accused of offenses against three young men in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. The assaults occurred in various locations, including the Bishop's residence and a retreat known as the 'beach house'. The court heard details of gatherings where alcohol was supplied to young men wearing only boxer shorts, and Saunders engaged in wrestling and boxing with them.

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The victims were young Aboriginal men who lived in the Kimberley, where Indigenous people make up more than 40 per cent of the population.

Prosecutors argued that Saunders had a sexual interest in young Aboriginal men and acted on it. The victims, who had criminal histories, testified about Saunders using his feet for sexual contact, grabbing their genitals, and engaging in non-consensual oral sex. Saunders' denials were heard through recordings of police interviews, as he chose not to testify in his own defense.

Saunders' defense lawyer suggested his client's behavior might have been "boozy" and "sleazy" but argued he was not on trial for violating church codes of conduct. The jury, however, focused on the victims' testimony, ultimately finding Saunders guilty of the charges related to the abuse of two of the men. He was acquitted of six other charges. There was no visible reaction from Saunders upon hearing the guilty verdicts.

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His behaviour might have been unusual, "boozy" and "sleazy".