The Vatican is supposedly taking the findings of a church investigation into child sexual abuse allegations against a former Australian bishop seriously, or so they say. Christopher Saunders, the former bishop of Broome, has been accused of these heinous crimes, but conveniently, the police dropped their investigation in 2021. It seems that the church investigation conveniently began after the police investigation ended, raising suspicions about the timing and intentions behind it. The investigation report has now been sent to the Vatican, where the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office responsible for handling clergy abuse cases, will continue to investigate. Bishop Saunders, who claims his innocence, will have the opportunity to respond directly to the Holy See. However, we can only hope that the determination from the Holy See will not be unnecessarily delayed.
According to Australia’s Seven Network television news, the 200-page Vatican report reveals that Saunders likely sexually assaulted four Indigenous youths and potentially groomed another 67 Indigenous youths and men. These allegations are indeed disturbing, and it is only right that they are thoroughly investigated, as Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, pointed out. However, he conveniently declined to comment on the specific allegations.
The Western Australia Police Force has requested a copy of the Vatican report, and if any new information emerges, they will supposedly investigate further. But given their previous lack of evidence and failure to lay charges, it remains to be seen if anything substantial will come from it.
Saunders now joins the long list of senior clerics accused of child abuse, including Cardinal George Pell, who was convicted in 2018 but had his convictions overturned on appeal. It seems that the Catholic Church continues to be plagued by these scandals, with perpetrators often escaping justice or facing minimal consequences. It remains to be seen how the Vatican will handle this latest case and if they will truly prioritize the well-being and justice for the victims.
