Catholic church investigation: Shocked Broome community refuses to believe allegations against Bishop Christopher Saunders

At a time when trust in the Catholic Church had dwindled and reports of abuse within the denomination continued to rise, high-profile Broome community leader Bishop Christopher Saunders was seen as the rose among the thorns in his North West town. The 70-year-old, who is the State’s longest serving bishop, was vocal about the failures of the Church in responding to child sex abuse allegations during a royal commission into the issue in 2017, stating the abuse of power by priests had been a very significant factor in the scandal. He publicly fought for his staff’s right to enjoy a traditional glass of wine with their meals when his Catholic mission fell within the boundaries of a grog ban introduced in the North Kimberley community of Kalumburu. Bishop Saunders had become a character of Broome, known for taking time to speak with his congregation after Mass and being a strong driver of the town’s University of Notre Dame Australia campus as an educational institute for the southern hemisphere. He had travelled through communities in the region to help improve indigenous education, as well as mental, social and spiritual development. The Kimberley town was yesterday rocked by reports the Catholic leader had stood down from his role, the second most prestigious title in the religion’s national hierarchy, after being at the centre of an 18-month police investigation of historical sex crime allegations. Close friend and former Shire of Broome president Ron “Sos” Johnston said he was “absolutely stunned” by the accusations he believed would “no doubt” be proved false. “I have known the bishop in excess of 40 years and I will support him 100 per cent through all this trauma,” Mr Johnston said. “He has done more for the North West, for the Kimberley and for indigenous education and development than any other person in WA has ever done.“This is upsetting for me, he is a personal friend of mine. “I have known him for too long, the great work he has done should not be undermined by some accusation that will not be proven. “If the North West and Kimberley had another 10 to 20 people like Bishop Saunders, it would be a completely transformed place in its development.” A churchgoer from Broome, who asked not to be named because of her involvement in the Church, said there was “no way” she would “ever, ever, ever” believe “anything slightly related to that nature” to be true. “He will have the full support of every single person he has ever been in contact with, because there is absolutely no way it could possibly be fact,” she said. Kimberley District Supt Greg Crofts said police would not comment on an allegation made against a specific individual.