Australian bishop Christopher Saunders charged with rape
Feb 22, 2024
Canberra [Australia], February 22: High-ranking Australian Bishop Christopher Saunders has been charged with rape and a string of sex offences - some against children - after a long-running investigation.
The 74-year-old was arrested in the Western Australian town of Broome on Wednesday.
Mr Saunders was refused bail, and will face 19 charges in court on Thursday.
He is one of the most senior Catholics in Australia to face charges of this nature.
First ordained in 1976, Mr Saunders has spent most of his career in the remote Kimberley region in the nation's north-west corner.
For years, he has faced dual police and internal church investigations over allegations of sexual abuse made by several men.
The accusations were first aired in 2020, but the initial police investigation that followed was closed without charge.
However, after a historic inquiry was ordered by the Pope - and its 200-page report subsequently leaked to media last year - police began a new probe.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
